


Falling for You

by Flakeblood



Series: Living Strong and Well [2]
Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Boners, Companionable Snark, Dirty Talk, Drinking, Drunken Flirting, F/M, Fluff, Fluff with emotional growth, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, In the literal and metaphorical sense, M/M, Mutual Pining, Parents have different opinions on unofficial new son, Piggyback Rides, So much snark help, Trevor has some angst to work out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-20 00:15:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16545086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flakeblood/pseuds/Flakeblood
Summary: Two idiots learn to get along. Trevor, who lost everything, and Adrian, whose world he saved. Yet both are unsure of where the other will lead them.





	1. Trevor - Going Out

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey, guess who's back after having soul crushing feels during season two? ( ; u;)b

Rough woolen texture was not pleasant when pulled over fresh skin, but Trevor wasn't going to be bothered by something like that. It was damn cold out, and he wouldn't have blazing fires or thick, downy bed covers to protect him in the wind and snow.

He finished pulling on his socks and grabbed his new boots. Though he had been reluctant to accept them, he eventually gave in, as he always did when Adrian or his mother presented him with gifts they called "necessities." 

Considering he was going outside though, he could appreciate the solid leather and warm fur. They went higher than his old boots, just past his knees; At least the laces only went up his shins, and he could fold over the extra material.

"Going somewhere?" Trevor heaved a dramatic sigh at the smooth voice. Adrian stood in the doorway, looking far too dressed up for wandering around the castle.

"Why? Going to stop me?"

"Not as such." Adrian invited himself into the room, standing before Trevor as he finished tying his boots. "Though it does depend on where, exactly, you are planning on going."

"Out."

"Very specific, Trevor."

Trevor snorted and stood. Even with the extra height of his boots, he was still shorter. Goddammit.

"I'm not staying in this fucking castle forever," he said, trying to subtly stand taller. Adrian responded by looming over him with a smirk. Bastard.

"We don't expect you to. Actually, that is one of the things I've come to talk to you about."

"Well, talk to me outside."

When he got a nod, Trevor moved to the wardrobe. Inside was a thick cloak, roomy and made with warm wool and fur; another gift. When he'd clasped it around himself, his hand hovered over his whip, hung on a peg. Despite being told he was welcome, and despite his experiences at the castle so far proving it, he still felt safer with the family whip at his side. More complete, maybe. He hooked it to his belt.

"Expecting trouble?" Adrian questioned. Trevor shrugged as he headed for the door.

"Not really. Just feels wrong without it."

They walked side by side down the halls, Trevor occasionally getting a glimpse of thin winter sunlight through windows. Though it had likely been only a couple weeks, it still felt like months since he'd been out in the sun. When he looked to his side, Adrian in perfect poise as he walked, sunlight touching him like a marbled garden pool, it felt like another lifetime.

A double door came up as he rounded the corner, thick oak decorated in reds and carved spiraling bats.

"Lovely," Trevor said. He didn't remember the door. Then again, he hadn't explored much of the castle. But he was certain he had gone in the right direction for a staircase.

"It seems you're having some trouble navigating," Adrian said.

"Shut up." Trevor pushed against one door, slowly levering it open. "I know exactly where I'm going."

Sure enough, a wide set of stairs lay before him, curving down. On the outside of the castle. A brisk breeze blew across the stone and into Trevor, prompting him to curl into his cloak.

"You coming?" he asked, not waiting for an answer as he descended. 

Adrian sighed, but Trevor still heard the clack of footsteps behind him. "I'm not sure how you plan on using this staircase to get to the ground floor."

"By walking down it. Obviously." Trevor swore he heard Adrian snort, but couldn't be sure over the wind.

"And how, exactly, did you plan on walking when there are no more stairs?"

"...On whatever floor they connect to?"

"I'm not sure that is the case with this set." Adrian's voice had gone thoughtful, like he was pulling at memories which escaped him. "Though I could be mistaken."

Trevor turned his head to scowl. "Well if it doesn't go all the way to the bottom, what's the point?"

Adrian hummed. "The castle is a creature of chaos, Trevor. Though my father keeps its form stable, for the moment, not every room has a door. Nor does every hall have floors, nor every staircase two entrances. The places that are the most finished are those where you have stayed. If you're going to explore, exercise some caution."

"Sounds pretty shitty if you- Whoa!" 

Trevor tipped forward as his foot met air, his core muscles burning as he attempted to go backwards. A large gap rent the stairs, dividing them in two. As he leaned, he felt a firm tug on his cloak and fell back into a strong grip.

"I did say to be careful, you know."

"Fuck off," Trevor said, no heat in the words. With his balance back, he stood face to face with Adrian. "You could have told me I was about to plunge to my death."

"I thought you knew exactly where you were going?" Adrian's smirk grew.

"Christ," Trevor muttered.

Peering over the gap, he could see almost all the way to the ground, some hundreds of feet below them. "I can't believe you nearly let me fall down that."

"You know perfectly well that was your own fault." Adrian crossed his arms out of the corner of his eye.

"Two weeks of healing and recovery, almost gone to waste with a Belmont splatter on the ground," Trevor bemoaned. Adrian gave an aggravated sigh, and Trevor hid his grin by examining the area around the steps.

To one side was the outer wall of a tower, stones weathered smooth. On the other, a waist high railing followed by imminent falling-to-your-death. Trevor placed on hand on his hip, thumbing at his whip absentmindedly. He wasn't completely sure if his whip could reach the railing on other side of the gap, or if it would hold under his weight. The edges looked like they might crumble, so he'd have to aim farther back.

"No." Trevor jerked his head to see Adrian's disapproving stare.

"What? I haven't done anything."

Adrian crossed his arms, looking reminiscent of his mother. "I know what you're thinking, and it's foolish."

Trevor unfurled his whip. Adrian tensed. 

"Trevor-" The whip arced through the air and wrapped around part of the railing. "Don't you-"

Trevor jumped.

He heard several curses behind him as he swung, some of which sounded like different languages. Laughter bubbled up in his gut, flowing out into the cold air which stung his face. His momentum forward eventually reversed, and he started to climb up as the swaying back and forth lessened.

"You are hopeless."

"Fuck!" Trevor grabbed the whip firmly with his hands and swung his feet out, planting them firmly in the gut of one floating dhampir. To his credit, Adrian didn't look the least bit winded.

"You have a fascination with kicking me," Adrian observed, bringing his hands up to remove Trevor's boots from his abdomen.

"And you won't stop being a cockwart, Adrian." Trevor's heart was pounding in his chest, both from the previous jump and the sudden, appearing dhampir. "What the hell? You should know better than to sneak up on a hunter."

"Rather than walk right up to them and introduce myself?" Adrian said, voice wry. Trevor blinked and really took him in.

His loose hair blew in the wind as he floated--floated--mimicking his fine coat. He held himself with poise, accentuating his sharp features and sharper eyes. Even if he hadn't been a hunter, he was certain his instincts would have repeated _'inhuman'._ He imagined Adrian waltzing up to the Belmont manor in its heyday, greeting his father and mother in a sweeping bow before joining Trevor in his training.

The image made Trevor snort back some laughter, but it also set a tiny ember in his heart. Some small spark of desire for something which had never been, and never would be.

A crack brought him back to reality, dangling hundreds of feet over the ground. Oscillations from his whip warned him of the stone's fragility. 

"Shit shit shit..." Trevor had time only to get a foot further before the railing broke and his whip uncoiled. "Whoa-!"

His stomach flew up into his throat. He fell for but a moment before he felt arms under him and a grunt in his ear.

"It's a marvel you survived as long as you have." Adrian sounded disapproving, but his eyes shone with relief. "Are you so foolish, or do you put yourself in these situations on purpose?"

Trevor sighed and began wrapping up his whip. Adrian's hold was steady, never wavering even as Trevor shifted in his grasp. "Haven't you noticed? I'm the luckiest man in Wallachia."

Adrian cackled. "You just might be." 

"What do you mean?" Trevor asked, winding an arm behind Adrian's neck.

"You aren't dead," he said pointedly. Trevor chuckled nervously as Adrian floated up to the stairs. "Even still, one might think you enjoy being carried like this."

Trevor punched his chest, making Adrian chuckle. The vibrations in his chest did some unfair things to Trevor, so he wiggled until he was set down. With his whip secured back on his hip and his feet on solid ground, he turned away from the grinning dhampir, smiling himself even as he tried to deny it.

"No, no. The only reason that was even necessary is you nearly let me fall in the first place."

Adrian made a sound of aggravation and stomped after him. "You keep saying that-"

"Because it's true."

"Though it is up to you to pay attention-"

"Nope. Completely your fault." Trevor grinned with guile. Adrian looked ready to smack him, though he raised his nose and turned it instead, looking only partly offended.

"So then, you're falling for me."

Trevor paused, each foot on a different step, to look--actually look--at his companion for the day. Adrian came to a halt as well, a question lingering in his eyes for all but a few moments before realization shot through them.

Deep guffaws broke out of Trevor's chest, causing him to lean over in an attempt to contain them. 

"D- Didn't think you had it in you, fangs," Trevor managed, still laughing. "Coming on to me, then?"

"You are perfectly aware that wasn't what I meant," Adrian insisted, but the delicate pink blush across his cheekbones made Trevor laugh harder.

"Is that why you wanted to hold me?"

Adrian hissed, but his lips still held a pout. "I can still throw you right off this staircase, if you prefer."

"It's the beard, isn't it?" Trevor teased, completely ignoring the way gloved fists tightened. Eventually, Adrian let out an exhausted and resigned snort.

"What beard? That scruff growing on your chin wouldn't impress a child."

"Hey!"

Adrian returned his earlier smirk. "Truly, only a boy at his coming-of-age would brag about such an amount."

Trevor crossed his arms. Growing a beard took time. It's not like he had scruff because... Well, maybe it was because he hadn't had a proper shave in weeks. Not like he'd say it aloud. _Coming-of-age, really, what would a dhampir know-_

A mischievous thought wiggled into his mind.

"Oh, I see," Trevor said, watching golden eyes narrow on him in suspicion. "You're jealous you can't grow such manly scruff."

"What?" Adrian said, stunned.

"That's it, isn't it?"

"I- I could if I desired to." Adrian kept his face turned up and away.

"Yeah, sure," Trevor said with sarcastic understanding. He moved close enough to tug at a lock of ridiculous golden waves. "But it would ruin the baby-faced vampire mystique, wouldn't it?"

"Baby-?" His hand smacked Trevor's away from his hair as he leaned in. "I wasn't aware you thought of me as so young."

Trevor swallowed. The distance and low voice were making it harder to formulate words.

"Aren't you?" he asked. Adrian leaned closer.

"Is nineteen so young?"

Nineteen. Trevor's mind boggled. His mother was human, of course, and she didn't seem old. He supposed he simply hadn't thought much about it. Adrian was younger than he was. Not by much, but to not even have reached his twentieth winter yet...

"For vampires, yeah," Trevor muttered.

"And for humans?"

When heat spread slowly across his neck, threatening his face, Trevor started back down the steps. "I guess not," he said, so soft he wasn't even sure Adrian heard.

At the bottom of the stairs was a door, thank god. With one shoulder and firmly planted feet, Trevor shoved it open and stumbled into the hall. Light footsteps followed him, a silence seeming almost thoughtful surrounding the two. Adrian hadn't spoken the rest of the time down the staircase. He wasn't upset, right? Trevor slowed, just a bit, and walked next to him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Adrian looked at him from the corner of his eyes. "You."

It was so unexpected it startled a scoff out of him. "What's there to think about? I'm a pretty straightforward guy."

"So one would think," Adrian said, "Until one spends any measure of time with you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Trevor's voice was a mumble, distracted by opening another large door. Thankfully, it lead to a normal hall with spiraling stairs visible at the end.

"Hm. Your reactions, for example." Adrian gestured with one hand as he spoke, drawing lazy circles in the air. "You seem to ignore them. Though I can't tell if it's to hide them from others or yourself."

Trevor's brows furrowed as he watched Adrian. "What?"

"How to explain it..." Adrian paused, eyes thoughtful, before speaking again. "When your hearts jumps, you tense your muscles to still yourself. When your pupils dilate or blood rushes to your face-" He moved right next to Trevor, brushing shoulders and looking straight into his eyes. "-You look away from me."

Trevor cursed as he did exactly that, willing the heat away.

"My point. Thus, I am attempting to understand... you."

"Yeah? Don't see the point." Trevor rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Don't you? Hm. Perhaps not. I have forgotten to tell you what I wished to speak with you about. Though I feel that should be understandable, considering your penchant for danger." Trevor frowned. "Regardless, it is likely we will be spending more time together, and I do not wish to come to the wrong conclusions."

More time? What conclusions? Trevor _humphed_ , releasing a big gust of air. He was lacking a lot of context.

"What sort of conclusions would these be?" Adrian stared at him, long and hard, before a small smile graced his lips.

"I believe I shall keep those to myself, for now."

"Of fucking course. Can't be straightforward."

Adrian clapped him on the shoulder. "No less than you. But it is not as important as what I initially came to ask you. Would you like to speak of it now?"

Having made it to the bottom of the spiral staircase, the throne room appeared before them. Ceilings soared high overhead, tall windows on either side of room let in pale light, the whole room a dismal storm grey with the exception of the throne itself. It sat like a bright red drop of blood at the pinnacle of the elevated portion of the floor. No outdoors in sight.

Trevor ran a hand down his face. "Unless I can get out from those doors at the other end of the grand fucking hall then you can tell me now." A small snicker came from the side.

"Yes, Trevor. Let's go outdoors before you do something unnecessarily dramatic again." 

"Oh, like you're one to talk. You decided to float over a huge gap just to reprimand me for my decisions."

"You're welcome."

"And your father became a giant flaming skull to reprimand a bishop."

"You can hardly count his decisions as mine."

They both walked across the room, what would usually be intimidating, echoing silence broken with their banter. Adrian allowed Trevor to push at the doors for several long moments before pulling him back.

"These doors open inward," he explained, and placed a hand at the center.

With no further prompting, the massive stone doors swung inward, and the two before them stepped back. Light shown in, bright and unfiltered by windows. Trevor squinted into the gap, muttering, "Unnecessarily dramatic. Hypocrite."

Only a little snow had fallen so far, but it covered the landscape in pockets of white, clinging to the shadows under trees and bushes. Crisp winds ruffled the branches of the trees, their hollow sounds and dried leaves providing a counterpoint to the few birds still singing in the cold. Very little color remained, but Trevor tramped out anyway, happy to see anything beyond stone and opulent finery. Taking a deep breath, he was able to smell the chill in the air: some combination of snow, bark, and biting wind only winter was able to bring.

"Right," Trevor said, letting his eyes close as the sun's rays tried to warm him. "What did you want to talk about?"

There was a small, hesitant pause before Adrian spoke. "I am going to get right to the point. I would like your assistance in warning or rescuing Mother's contacts in the medical field of study."

Trevor let it sink in. He swallowed down the feeling of his stomach trying to crawl up his throat. "Wait. You want _me_ , to go out there on some sort of adventure, with _you_ , in an attempt to tell the good people of Wallachia that, what, the church has gone more demented than usual?"

"It could save many lives-"

"And where were they when the Belmont estate was burned?"

His words lingered only a moment, then were swallowed by a faint gust. The silence was no longer comfortable. Without opening his eyes, Trevor spoke again.

"I'll tell you exactly where they were. They were at my home, watching as it burned down around my family, yelling death for the users of dark magic to go to hell." Trevor clenched his fists and jaw. "Where we belonged."

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his reverie, and he spun around with a hand fisted to punch. Adrian turned his hand with the punch, for which a small part of Trevor was grateful; he might have broken a finger otherwise. However, the majority of Trevor was still angry, still burning like his lost home.

"And now you want me to go save their sorry arses from the very thing they worship? The people they followed to burn down the only place I knew?"

"Trevor-"

"Stop-" Trevor backed up. "I'm not- I can't believe this."

Adrian's eyes drooped, like he was disappointed. Trevor found he was regrettably used to the look. "Mother believed it would do you good to leave-"

Trevor interrupted with a strained laugh. "What happened to staying as long as I want?" His words sounded too sad, too pathetic to his own ears, so Trevor turned to the forest. "Whatever. Forget it."

"Trevor, wait."

"Don't follow me," he warned.

"Trevor, stop being a pig headed fool," Adrian said, loud enough to carry from where he had stopped.

"Or what? You'll force me to gallivant about the country to save people that couldn't give a shit?" Trevor ignored the other calls for him and kept his pace as he walked into the forest.

Loneliness was a usual companion of his, no matter how much it pained him now, the final shout of his name echoing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Casually slips a pun into the title*  
> ...Yeah, I'm sorry. I wanted to come back with fluff and, idk, this happens? Uhh, I'm not sure exactly, but Trevor just... stormed off and neither Adrian nor I could stop him.
> 
> Um, anyway, I'm also doing NaNoWriMo right now, so updates will be sparse. I should be writing, not going back and editing. ^^; Buuuut that means I'll have plenty of content once I'm done!
> 
> So please lemme know what you think, and if I missed anything.


	2. Adrian - Dirty Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian rushes to find the agitated hunter, but things are messier than he'd expected.

Adrian ran back to the castle for only a moment, utilizing his speed to grab his mother's silver sword, before streaking back out. Stupid, reckless Belmont. What did he think would happen, wandering out into the forest surrounding the castle, alone and unprepared?

Not many of his father's creatures roamed beyond the walls, but there were several who frequented it and few--if any--of them were likely to be friendly to a strange hunter wandering the grounds.

Adrian sped up.

Despite his desperation, he did have to stop a couple of times. He was too frantic to care about how winded he knew he should feel; He would have pushed past it. However, Trevor was more adept at covering his tracks than Adrian had given him credit for.

 _Seems he does have some skill as a hunter after all_ , he thought.

It did Adrian little good to know after Trevor had already taken off, though. Cold wind blew through his coat, and Adrian suppressed a shiver. He could power through most chill, but he was stressed and using energy, two things which could only be remedied once he found Trevor and had a good meal.

"Dammit Trevor," Adrian cursed to himself, having stopped to search for tracks again. "How are you moving so quickly now?"

The thought of Trevor running through the woods, angry and upset with him, gripped Adrian's heart and squeezed. Knowing he was somehow doing that, _and_ covering most clues of his trail, burned Adrian's mind in frustration.

About twenty minutes later, Adrian realized he had gone in a large loop. He wasn't back at the entrance to the forest by any means, but the past five minutes had him circling around the same place.

_Did Trevor stop?_

With a ragged sigh, Adrian focused on his four-legged form, feeling the transformation wash over him. His sword was still strapped--somewhat uncomfortably--across him, its weight adding to the dragging feeling on his limbs.

Transformations were not easy during the day, and the sun was climbing higher as he searched. It had to be at least nine o'clock, and Adrian felt the rays sapping his strength, even filtered through the bare branches.

Deciding not to waste any time, he stuck his nose to the ground and snuffled around for Trevor's scent. He had to backtrack several paces to find it, but it lay there, faint.

Fresh leather and furs, a tinge of alcohol, and something like ashes.

Adrian cast about more to figure out the direction of the scent, then loped off in the same direction. A mile out, he stopped. A wide river ran through a thick copse of trees, slowed from the cold, but still deep enough to give Adrian pause. Trevor had apparently climbed some trees and swung across them, the clever bastard. His trick with the whip must have worked properly that time.

Adrian heard shouting on the other side. Shit.

A quick thought changed his form yet again, and he flew across the river as a small bat. As he closed in on the sounds, he noticed the ground was more akin to a mire on the far side of the river, the water spilling just enough from its bank to keep the dirt moist.

As such, it did not surprise him to see mud men emerging from it. His father would occasionally create spots around the castle with mindless guards, activated only when strangers crossed the section of land.

Earthen golems were usually slow enough to run from, but made an ample sight to terrify most trespassers. Not Trevor though.

He swung his whip around, cursing at them and venting his frustrations with each blow. It kept them at bay, but the mud available for the spawning of new golems was unlimited, and eventually the hunter would tire. Adrian dropped his form and landed gracefully.

"Get lost fangs!" Trevor shouted, hitting and dismantling two mud men with a swing. "I didn't come out here hoping for you to follow me."

"Yet follow you I did."

"I can see that." He grunted. "Take whatever else you have to say and shove it."

Adrian huffed. "Always rude."

"I'm not asking you to risk the same punishment you almost died from not even three weeks ago." His bitter tone gave Adrian pause.

Had he considered what Trevor had been feeling about his near-burning? While he supposed it had been there, somewhere in the back of his mind, Adrian realized he hadn't contemplated the full impact the experience had on Trevor. Thoughts of moving forward and helping him adjust to a new way of living had been at the forefront of his mind, not how to overcome his past.

Trevor was right. Adrian placed a hand to his face. How truly embarrassing. The way he had asked lacked the sort of care he should have shown when broaching the subject. Of course Trevor was still hurting over his arrest; It hadn't happened so long ago.

Adrian knew he should apologize. After he got rid of the mud men.

"Trevor, these creatures are not going to stop spawning unless-"

"I said shove it, fangs!" Trevor growled and dodged back as another viscid golem tried to spawn underneath him.

Adrian growled right back and unsheathed his sword with a thought. Silver whistled through the air and cut down two golems in his way, confusing another nearby. If Trevor was going to be a stubborn mule, Adrian needed to get to him first.

One more fell to his blade as he danced through the small group. Leave it to a Belmont to rile up an entire horde of guards, just by his mere presence.

More mud men were forming even as they both swung their respective weapons, some appearing behind Trevor. He didn't seem to notice. Adrian dashed forward, flinging his arm to send his sword ahead.

Trevor caught his gaze, eyes widened in surprise as he twitched his head to the side, sword flying past.

Silver pierced the unwary mud golem, sinking them back into the river bank. Trevor, however, used his quick reflexes to wind up another attack, his whip lashing through to air to wind around Adrian's outstretched arm with a resounding _crack_. Adrian hissed at the pain, stopping his movement as Trevor pulled the whip taut.

Even as Trevor's breathing steadied, his heart kept its quickened pace. They spent several moments looking each other over before Trevor finally spoke.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to actually try and kill me. Wasn't sure you had the balls."

Adrian growled in warning, feeling his temper slipping from him as Trevor pulled against his attempt at escape. Heat from the whip leeched at his strength, even through his coat. "We do not have time for this foolishness," he said, eyeing the mud men already reforming.

"I guess we can agree on something. But if you've come to force me back to the castle-"

Adrian lunged.

He heard several curses from Trevor as the hunter used his own body weight to leverage the holy whip, sending Adrian careening around him. It suited the dhampir just fine; He used the momentum to whip around behind the hunter and kick away the shambling golems. A swift thrust of his sword finished them off before they could recover.

Threat taken care of for the moment, his attention turned back to Trevor. Adrian wondered what his face must look like, as it made the Belmont pale almost to the shade of eggshells. A brief flicker of his speed brought Adrian nose to nose with Trevor, and he grabbed the front of the furred cloak to drag him close.

"I grow tired of your accusations." His voice had dropped low, Adrian unable to keep the rumbling contained within his chest. Heightened senses clearly picked up the blood rushing through Trevor, the clenched muscles, and irregular breaths. A more primal side of himself relished the fear, but despite his anger, Adrian pushed his instincts down.

"Maybe you should just get rid of me," Trevor challenged. He spoke clearly, even through his terror. "Wouldn't have to bother with me then, would you?"

"I don't understand you Belmont," Adrian said, spitting out his last name in frustration and confusion. "No matter what it is we do, you constantly attempt to push us away."

"Oh, so you do remember my family name."

"What-?" A split second too late, Adrian realized the whip was no longer around his arm. The blessed weapon jerked and tightened around his ankles, pulling them together.

Cursing he went down, pulling Trevor with him. The hunter was more prepared though, and maneuvered himself so he fell on top of Adrian, straddling him with a strong grip still on his whip. A second later, as Adrian adjusted to the new position, he felt a point on his chest. When he looked down, he saw a small blade in Trevor's hand, aimed right at his heart.

An instinctive hiss passed his lips, and Trevor pushed the blade further.

"Finally showing your true colors."

Adrian reached up to grab at Trevor's hair, yanking their faces closer; He couldn't lie and say his lips didn't curl up at the yelp he produced, but the sound cleared some of the haze from his mind. Adrian breathed in deep before he answered.

"I have been nothing but honest with you."

"Have you, _vampire_?" Trevor's eyes narrowed. "You say that I'm not being kept prison in the castle, yet the moment I try to leave, alone, you immediately track me down and I'm fucking ambushed."

Adrian furrowed his brows. Hadn't Trevor just complained about being forced out? "The guards are not here because of you."

"Yeah? Might want to tell them that." The moans of newly reforming mud men punctuated the statement.

"They are mindless deterrent, nothing more. And they were not meant for you."

Trevor scoffed and leaned on the blade again, pushing it through Adrian's shirt and just barely through the skin. "But that's exactly why you came out here, isn't it? To stop me."

Adrian had nothing to refute that, and Trevor continued, "So tell me why I shouldn't stake you, right now."

Thousands of thoughts and responses trickled into Adrian's mind. Because Trevor's throat was vulnerable. Because the golems and others in the forest would not take kindly to a hunter's presence. Because Father would hunt Trevor down for killing his son, promise or not. Because it would devastate Mother. Because it was all a misunderstanding. Because, because...

"You don't want to."

Trevor flinched. "I really do. Got a knife and everything."

"No. You've had that knife for at least a day." And wouldn't Adrian love to know how he'd smuggled that right under his nose. "You could have done this far earlier, when you weren't surrounded by the golems."

"Maybe I'm unpredictable." But Trevor sounded unsure. Adrian wasn't.

The look in Trevor's eyes was similar to one he held in the prison: a fire other Belmonts must have worn for hundreds of years. But it was softer; It was questioning. So Adrian did something stupid. He let go.

He took his hand out of Trevor's hair and laid it down on the ground, then relaxed the rest of his body as well. He watched Trevor's expression intently, but he made no moves.

"Unpredictable," Adrian agreed. "Stupid and reckless, as well. But... not cruel."

Trevor made a face, lips twisted and nose scrunched, but the knife slid back, only touching the hole in his shirt.

"No one believes they're cruel. They believe they're right," Trevor said, hushed as a whisper in a church.

"...Perhaps so," Adrian acquiesced. "In this case though, you are neither."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Trevor asked, giving an approximation of a growl, though his heart clearly wasn't in it anymore.

"It means that you were wrong about my motives for chasing after you. I did not come to stop you." He willed his sword up and directed it to slice through the mud men closing around them.

Trevor startled as soon as one went down, then followed the sword with his eyes as it flew to decapitate one sneaking up behind him.

"What the fu-" 

His exclamation cut off when the creature burst apart, effectively splattering mud all over Trevor's face. He froze for a moment, and Adrian gallantly held back laughter as Trevor turned back with an audible sigh, dropping the whip handle to wipe at the mess with his free hand.

When one eye was more or less clean, Trevor used it to glare at Adrian. "I can feel you laughing," he said, distinctly grumpy.

Adrian let his amusement free, the joyful sound filling the air as Trevor pouted and wiped ineffectually at the slimy dirt in his hair. Finally, Trevor moved the knife away from Adrian's bobbing breast, hooking it inside one of his boots. Of course.

"There were no knife holders in those boots," Adrian stated. Trevor shrugged.

"There are now."

He stood then, and after coiling up his whip, slowly, cautiously, he extended a hand out. Adrian blinked once, watching before taking the calloused hand with his own. Some mud slid off between their touch, and Adrian wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh. If you didn't need a bath before, you certainly do now."

Trevor snorted. "I'm not the one with mud all up and down my back though, am I?" He smirked as Adrian froze in contemplation, then reached behind his head. Globs of mud came away from his long hair, sticking liberally to his skin.

Trevor laughed loudly as Adrian stared at his hand in horror.

"You really are a picky bastard, you know that? Never seen a man look like the world was ending just because some _dirt_ got in his pretty hair." His laughs turned into snickers as Adrian glared at him.

He turned away to go retrieve his sword, which started Trevor laughing again. Presumably at seeing the state of his back.

"Fuck you," Adrian said, sheathing his sword. His petulant command did nothing but make Trevor's laughter jump in surprise and- Was that glee?

"Better hope your parents don't see us walk in, or that's exactly what they'll think we've been doing." The accompanying eyebrow wiggle was completely unnecessary.

Adrian faced away again to hide his flush. "Classy. Let's just head back before you attract inevitably more guards with that ruckus you're making."

Mirthful snickers followed him all the way back to the river.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! I got enough extra time to edit another chapter! (ง ͠ ͠° ل͜ °)ง Lemme know what you guys think, or if I've forgotten anything. Honestly, I've been on such a writing binge, I feel like I'm breathing Castlevania.
> 
> Am I the only one who thinks Adrian getting muddy is hilarious? (*>艸<) Well, I mean obviously Trevor agrees. But come on. Adrian can't be perfectly groomed all the time.  
> Besides, we needed to have a ~~sort of~~ fight between them. Fun fact, laughing at someone makes them temporarily immune to your anger. Ehe.
> 
> Ah! Of course thank you for all of your support! It means so much to me, especially when I know the updates have been slow this month. Hopefully I will post one more time before November is over.  
> Until then, have fun~


	3. Adrian - I Cannot Cross O'er

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After using up much of his power, Adrian confronts the river, and finds that the best help often comes with snark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's got too much excitement and won NaNo early! ٩(๑❛ワ❛๑)و

Once they reached the river, Adrian realized he had a problem. The waters flowed as strong as ever, blocking their path.

Trevor looked ready to pull out his whip again, undoubtedly eyeing the trees to determine what would hold his weight as he swung across. Adrian did not have that option, nor, it seemed, did he still have the option of his vampiric abilities.

The sun shone strong through the gap in the trees, lighting the river in silvery browns and rich algae greens. It beat, warm, on Adrian's head, and the light, combined with his previous exertion of finding and catching Trevor, meant he used up more power than expected so early in the day.

The river was wide, and Adrian did not wish to test his luck on a transformation to cross. Trevor sensed his hesitance.

"What's the problem? Can't you get across bat boy?"

Adrian sighed, aggravated. "Would it kill you to use my name, _Belmont_?"

Said man scratched at his neck, but gave a guileless smile. "It just might, _Adrian_."

A shiver ran down Adrian's spine, but he ignored it in favor of answering the previous question. "It just so happens that all the effort I spent to find and rescue you has left me in a bit of a... predicament, for crossing this river."

"The noble, perfect _Adrian_ , in a predicament?" Trevor drawled, smug grin on his face, "Shocking, truly."

"Silence yourself Belmont, or at least make yourself useful."

"It's the sun isn't it?" One finger pointed up mockingly; Adrian wanted to punch the smirk off Trevor's face. Or push him into the river.

"I'm surprised you managed to put that together. All that Belmont training finally paying off?"

"Fuck off," Trevor said, but he returned the smirk Adrian gave him. "Besides, I don't remember you doing any rescuing back there."

"What do you call me taking out multiple mud golems while you simply sat?" Adrian asked.

"On you, you mean? I call it you getting a mud bath." Adrian frowned as Trevor's grin only grew wider. "It's a good look for you. Very common peasant. Matches the fact your fancy powers aren't working."

Adrian tossed his head, or tried to; He aborted the motion when the mud clumping in his hair made its presence known, slapping against his coat with a wet thud. Trevor snorted, barely restraining his laughter. When he didn't stop, even with a glare directed at him, Adrian walked over and smeared the mud from his hand onto the front of Trevor's tunic.

"Hey!" he protested, "Come on, it's my one good tunic."

"Clean for the first time in months, I'm sure."

"Well, it isn't now," Trevor said with a pout.

"Perhaps you should jump in the river," Adrian suggested, a sharp grin in his eyes.

"After you." Trevor bowed mockingly, one hand extended towards the undoubtedly frigid waters. Adrian huffed a laugh, but it fell away as he contemplated his very real dilemma.

"I cannot. It is running water."

"...Are you serious?" At Adrian's unamused stare, Trevor ran a hand through his hair, sighing, but with a teasing in his eyes and lilting tone. "The man can fly, but _water_ , oh no. How does Your Royal Majesty get clean?"

"In a bath, Belmont, as I'm sure you would know if you had taken them anytime prior to our meeting." A small, warm feeling bubbled up in Adrian's chest at the dry look on Trevor's face. He hadn't jested with someone like this in... too long. Actually, he felt only Trevor had brought this side out of him so easily; It felt as natural as shifting forms.

"Ouch," Trevor said sarcastically, "I'll have you know that was a natural musk-"

"For a rutting deer, perhaps."

"-And should you really be insulting your savior? I'm the one that's going to have to take you across the river."

Adrian looked upwards, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes completely. "You have a plan then?"

The trees surrounding the river looked sturdy, but he wasn't sure he was willing to risk a jump from one side to the other, especially without his teleportation giving him a boost or levitation to catch him. Using solely his vampiric speed and strength might get him to a tree on the other side, but it would give him far too much force, and he was likely to crash straight through the branches into the water below.

Crinkled brows showed Trevor was thinking along the same lines. "Well, we can't go back the same way I did. Don't think there's any branches that'll hold all the extra dead weight."

Adrian gave in and rolled his eyes. "Don't smile as though your insult was particularly clever." Trevor didn't listen, as usual.

"Looks like we've only got one option then, if you aren't touching the water." Trevor stepped up to the bank.

"And that would be?" Adrian watched as Trevor crouched down slightly, arms moved behind him and waiting. A hard stare did nothing to dissuade the hunter.

"C'mon fangs, you've already admitted you have no way to cross. It's shallow enough that I can wade through, so..." He shrugged, eyes on the river.

"I... suppose you are correct." Adrian breathed in once, twice, then walked over to Trevor.

To his credit, the hunter did not outwardly flinch, even as Adrian wrapped arms around his neck and across his chest. When they were front to back though, Adrian was very aware of the speed in heartbeat. He couldn't tell what the reason was, but something was affecting Trevor.

"If this makes you uncomfortable..." Adrian offered.

Trevor grunted. "It's fine. Hook your legs around me."

Adrian did so. He was impressed by the sturdiness he felt underneath him as Trevor stood completely straight, arms hooked under Adrian's knees, and began walking. His gait didn't waver in the slightest, even with another body to carry.

Still.

"How undignified," Adrian muttered, glancing around at the water Trevor began to wade through. Small twitches in the chest told Adrian his transport was silently laughing at him.

"Sorry not everyone has vampiric strength, princess. Shit! That's cold."

"Princess?" Adrian echoed, voice louder in offense.

"Riding on my back is 'undignified,' right? You prefer I carry you like a bride across the threshold?" Adrian had just enough view of his face to see the teasing glint in Trevor's eyes. With that happiness, they shone brighter than the sun's ripples in the river.

Adrian pushed away the thought. He wasn't about to let Trevor get away with his taunting, not so easily. Leaning in close to an ear, Alucard barely brushed against it with his mouth.

"I think you forget who you're carrying, Trevor." Words whispered past his lips, and muscles underneath him shuddered.

"Don't think I could, actually- Fuck!"

Whether because of the pull of the river or a slippery patch of silt at the bottom, Trevor wavered for a moment at the deeper part of the river before catching himself.

The tilt, however, was enough for one of Adrian's feet to slip into the water. He hissed and shook in discomfort, clinging tighter to the body carrying him.

"Adrian?" Trevor questioned. But Adrian was scrambling to calm himself.

All his muscles had locked, his own heartbeat approaching something closer to human in his fear. As he breathed in, slowly, he realized he had buried his head in the crook of Trevor's neck, past the cloak and shirt. 

His skin was so fragrant, like the bitterness and warmth of a campfire, surrounded by winter trees.

"Hey. Hey, fangs? Adrian?" Trevor's voice was getting higher pitched. "What's happening back there?"

Adrian took in another deep breath and murmured, "I'm fine."

"Then maybe stop trying to squeeze all the breath out of my body?"

"Ah." Adrian loosened his grip, feeling self-conscious flutters in his stomach. "My apologies."

Trevor grunted and shook his head. His stubbly jaw rubbed against Adrian's forehead. They moved several more steps through the river before he spoke.

"That scared of water, huh? How is it that the sun does almost nothing, but you're concerned the water is going to steal your life, or dissolve you, or some shit? What are the rules, exactly?"

Adrian hummed against warm skin. "If you weren't aware, there are not many of my kind, Trevor."

"Dhampirs, you mean."

"Yes. I'm not sure if the rules have ever been clearly defined. I walk in the sun, but my power is diminished in the light. I can touch running water, but..." Adrian flexed his arms and shifted his legs, glad when Trevor helped hike them up higher. "It pains me. The temperature matters not. When I step in, it is as if I have plunged into the depths of a frozen lake."

"Huh." Trevor thought for a moment, then glanced down. Whether at the river or Adrian's foot, Adrian didn't know. "Any long term effects?"

"I haven't cared to test it," Adrian admits.

"Hm. Well if it makes you feel any better, this river is fucking cold."

"It doesn't."

"I think my balls are retreating into my body."

Adrian let out an incredulous laugh and pulled his head up. "Trevor, is it even possible for you to act like a respectable human being?"

"Where would the fun in that be?" Trevor's grin was like sunlight.

If he had been standing instead of riding on Trevor's back, Adrian might have worried about the strength in his legs. As it was, he still felt a light flutter in his stomach, similar to the feeling he got when he jumped from a castle tower, right before he would activate his power.

"No, I don't suppose you would enjoy basic decency." Adrian couldn't help the way his voice and face smoothed; He felt a fondness growing for the uncouth man.

"Basic decency never got me anything in life. Except headaches, really."

"Are you sure that wasn't the alcohol?"

"Wha-" Trevor tilted perilously for a moment, prompting Adrian to again hold tight.

"I swear, Trevor, if you drop me in the river-"

"I'm not gonna drop you, princess," Trevor interrupted. "Why would you think I got drunk?"

Adrian tried to relax, though he did reach up and tug at a lock of Trevor's hair in retaliation for the nickname. The yelp was worth it, even if it did make Trevor wobble.

"I didn't say drunk. Though I did mean it. You smelled like a tavern when we met. Even now, after weeks, the scent lingers. Not much, but enough to tell you must have been a heavy drinker. Either that or you were bathing in it."

"Maybe I was." Trevor sounded petulant as he slowly made his way into the shallow water on the other river bank. "Sure beats romping in rivers as cold as this. Shit."

"While I have no doubt you did not bathe-" Trevor _tsked_ and Adrian ignored him, "-it seems far more likely you drank the alcohol, Trevor."

"And it's even more likely I'm gonna drop your ass on the ground."

Adrian took the hint and lowered himself to the--thankfully--solid ground. He took some time to straighten his clothes, wincing at the drying mud. Trevor left himself rumpled and stared at the footprints in the damp dirt and waning patches of snow. 

"Those are wolf prints."

"Very astute Trevor."

Trevor pointed a finger at him. "Don't get sarcastic with me. I just waded through a freezing cold river for you."

"Indeed you did."

Trevor's boots were completely soaked, and his feet beneath likely were as well; A small section of his pants were wet, above the boots. Trevor was doing a fair job at hiding it, but beneath his partially waterlogged cloak, he was shivering.

"Let's get you back to the castle before you catch cold," Adrian said, "And get you out of those clothes."

Trevor guffawed. As it was not his first time making an unintended insinuation, Adrian ignored him and began trekking back to the castle.

"Shit fangs, at least buy me dinner first."

"I believe I have brought you food many times already." He tossed a grin over his shoulder.

"So this is repayment for healing me up, huh?" Trevor's voice had lost some of it's mirth in favor of a more somber tone.

"Your repayment is unnecessary. You have already done a great deal for us."

"...By saving your mother, you mean."

Adrian slowed to walk at Trevor's side. He seemed contemplative, but at least Trevor was able to look him in the eyes.

"By being yourself, yes."

Trevor hummed, but did not respond. They walked side by side all the way back to the castle, Adrian wondering what it would take to get this wonderful, rough man to open up. To be comfortable. To stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! So yes, I now have tons of material. All I have to do is re-read the hot mess I cranked out, edit it several times for grammar, flow, consistency, etc... and then post it! No problem. ( = u=)b Honestly, I don't have much of anything in order either, so I should probably make a timeline?
> 
> But here ya go, another part to this fun little outdoor romp with the boys. And a piggyback ride!! God I love vampiric weaknesses. They're stupid and fun. :D I was kinda running with SotN logic for this, in that running water injures Adrian without a talisman.
> 
> Y'all have been so sweet! Thank you. (*^ω^*) Stay tuned for more heartwarming cheesy dialogue. This will be more like macaroni than a fic by the time I'm done, haha.


	4. Vlad & Lisa - Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad and Lisa discuss their future and that of the two boys in the castle. When Lisa goes to check on them and share plans, she discovers something she hadn't expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy December and junk have some more of the Best Ever Parents (tm).

Vlad stood by a window, looking out over the dying and hibernating plants. The forest would bloom again in a few months time, but for now, he appreciated the cooler air and quiet serenity of winter. The warmth that wrapped around him from behind might also have something to do with his mood.

"What are you watching, my love?" Lisa asked.

"Our boy." He was too far down for Lisa to see properly, but Vlad could hear and see the bickering and teasing between his son and the Belmont boy. Belmont had almost fallen straight off a tower, the fool.

"I don't understand what he sees in him." His wife must have understood who he meant, as she didn't question him; She simply ran her hands up and down his arms.

"Yes you do," Lisa said, assured, "Otherwise you would not spend so much time speaking with him."

Vlad sniffed. "I do not do it for pleasure. The boy requires it."

"Really, my husband? Then your offer to meet him in the coliseum the next time he tried to fight one of the servants was purely for his benefit then?"

"He is obviously lacking in formal training." Besides, the threat had stopped the Belmont from taunting Vlad's attendants. A fine bonus, though he was still prepared to go through with his promise, if necessary.

"And when you said you would tuck him in each and every night the first time you found him wandering around after dark?"

Vlad had no response, and his wife giggled.

"You enjoy tormenting me," he said, turning towards her and returning her embrace.

"You enjoy my teasing," she said as a rejoinder.

Vlad couldn't combat that either, so he leaned in for a kiss instead. Kissing Lisa was something he could never grow tired of, so long as he lived. She was soft and sweet, and her lips were chapped and salty from the cold air. He pushed away any thoughts of her mortality. She was here.

After she finished their kiss with several more pecks to his cheeks--as she always did--she spoke.

"There is something that has been bothering me, my husband."

"Oh? Tell me. You know I will assist you in anything." This earned him another peck.

"It is about my other friends and colleagues in Wallachia." Vlad frowned, but Lisa plowed on. "If the church came for me, when we took every precaution to avoid superstition of black magic, the other doctors I know will be in danger, as well as the alchemists, and they do not have such a strong husband as you to protect them."

Vlad sighed at the obvious attempt at flattery, but it did not stop his lips from curling up. "And what would you have me do, my wife? I would not spirit them away from their homes to come here, nor would many of them wish to go with a monster."

He held up a hand to stall her protesting. "It is true, my love."

"I... Yes, you're right." Lisa's lips curved down. "But that is not what I am asking."

"Then what?"

"I have told our son I wish to warn them. To travel about and at least give as many as I can warning of the corruption within the church and unrest it brings to the people's hearts."

"No." Vlad tightened his grip on his wife. "You were in enough danger and only just escaped it. In that, I can give the Belmont credit." He closed his eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh. It was the only thing he was willing to credit the boy for, no matter how attached his son and wife had gotten to the little brat.

"I am not going to let fear deter me from doing what is right," Lisa insisted. "My friends' lives are at risk, and I could never forgive myself if I hid safely away while they burned."

"Lisa, my love-"

"Vlad Dracula Țepeș." His spine straightened as his wife's eyes bored into his own. How she managed so intimidating a demeanor looking up at him was still a mystery. "If you are so worried for my safety, then I shall not travel alone. But I am going."

He could not stop her. Not with that righteous fire burning so brightly in her soul. Vlad took a moment to weigh his options.

The first was that he travel with her to warn her colleges. It would satisfy her, and keep her safe. However, it was possible, no matter how slim, that Lisa or himself would be recognized. Lisa was wanted by the church as the "bride of Satan," and no doubt word had spread to smaller churches in the area around Târgoviște, if not further. He was not as well known, himself--ironically the church had seen to that--but he had made a presence in a few places. It might be dangerous to return to them with his wife in tow.

The second option was that he let Adrian travel with Lisa. Adrian was strong, intelligent, and cared deeply for his mother. He was also a shadowy figure to the Wallachians, known only by the pseudonym "Alucard" and not his looks. Vlad took a moment to mentally scoff at the ridiculous name. Regardless it was an option that still put Lisa in danger.

Another option was that Trevor be allowed to accompany Lisa, and Vlad threw that away almost immediately. While the boy had saved her life once, he was not as quick or powerful as a vampire, and had in fact been captured during the rescue. Not to mention the fact that he was even more well known than Lisa at the moment. Everyone seemed to know of the last surviving Belmont who had "summoned demons" to escape a burning by the church. Whether they believed it was illusions or true black magic, the church and everyone they convinced now believed Trevor to be a wicked sorcerer under the Devil's influence. No, he could not let the only two humans in the castle wander off alone.

That left only the last possibility. He turned and eyed the two boys below as they entered a lower hall after their newest attempt at flirting. "What children," he said. But he felt the warmth from his wife sinking into his bones.

They would likely not get along perfectly for some time. And even then, Vlad had a sneaking suspicion that they would always tease each other. Like he and his wife. But the thought only strengthened his decision.

"Adrian and I have actually already spoken on the matter."

"Have you?" Lisa asked. "And what did you come up with, my love?"

"The Belmont boy has been growing restless, now that he is healed. I understand you and our son both had concerns about where he would go, now that he is hunted directly by the church and has no family to protect him."

Lisa nodded, shuffling in her husband's arms until he gave her another hug. "But you suggest he leave?"

"With Adrian," Vlad clarified. "Our son keeps his attention, and should be able to keep him out of trouble." At his wife's raised eyebrow he amended, "Too much trouble."

"I don't disagree, but I still will leave as well. They are my contacts, and know me best."

"I thought you might say as much. I shall accompany you, my love. This way, with two groups, we may reach them more quickly, and no one shall be left vulnerable."

Lisa thought, a finger held to her chin, and nodded. "Yes. I agree. Thank you, Husband."

Vlad hummed and ran his own hand along her jaw. "No need to thank me. Though I will not say no."

"Is that so?" she breathed, and yanked his face down with a hand she had threaded through the back of his hair. Vlad rumbled low in his throat, now eye to eye with his love. "I can think of a few ways to thank you, though I regret losing the gift you so graciously brought me."

"Gift...?" He muttered, entranced by her lips moving along his own. It took a few embarrassingly long seconds for him to understand, though Lisa's hand firmly grabbing one of his wrists jolted the memory back.

A fine rope woven from silk threads, soft but sturdy.

"Hm. Perhaps we could find a way around that, for now," Vlad growled, low and soft.

"Perhaps," his wife echoed. "It's about time for you to rest anyway, isn't it?"

"It is," he said. The corner of the castle he had watched from would not stay cloaked in shadow for long.

"Then I shall see you to bed," Lisa said, and met their lips in a passionate kiss.

0-o-0

Lisa walked down the halls, her arms simultaneously dragged down by exhaustion, yet buoyed by the lightness in her soul. It was not often she and her husband had time to spend together; She could almost thank the recent catastrophe. Almost. Her family was all together after what seemed a lifetime, and she had met a wonderful young man--who felt almost like another son to her. Despite those facts, she was worried enough over the church's actions to forsake sharing the warm bed with her slumbering husband. For now.

Adrian and Trevor had been wandering towards the bottom of the castle last time Vlad had seen them; Thus, Lisa slowly descended, hoping to find them near the entry hall. A warmth filled her at the thought of her boys getting along, and learning more about each other. She hated to interrupt, but the restless feeling in her bones drove her onward. They would get more time to bond as they journeyed together. If Trevor agreed, that is.

When she reached the hall, she looked around, noticing some conspicuous wet patches trailing along the red carpet and away into a stone hall. Following them, creases pulled at her face as she discovered clumps of mud in increasing frequency.

She had a sneaking suspicion about who was responsible for creating such a mess, and was subsequently torn between amusement and frustration. Lisa decided frustration would get more productivity out of the boys when she came across bickering in a laundry room, the voices spirited enough to float out the door and down the hall.

"-And just because we're inside now doesn't mean you won't get ill." That was her son speaking. Perhaps Trevor was the one who'd gotten wet and muddy then?

"Look, if it bothers you so much, find something dry. I don't know where the blankets are." Yes, that was Trevor. "And until then, I'm keeping my pants on."

"I never insisted you get naked- Just-" Adrian made a sound of frustration. "Look, there are perfectly good towels and sheets in here, just pick something."

Trevor grumbled inaudibly for a bit before saying, louder, "You're the one who said I shouldn't go up to the rooms for fresh clothes."

Lisa frowned, her steps subconsciously slowing. Why had Adrian not wished to go to the rooms if Trevor was as soaked as he'd said? She thought of the mud dotting the hall, and wondered if he was simply being considerate of the cleanup. Not that it had ever stopped him before; He'd sprinted through the halls as a muddy wolf plenty of times.

"You know _exactly_ why we can't go up there right now," Adrian hissed.

"Scared of your parents?" Trevor asked, tone taunting. Lisa's frown deepened.

"I am not!"

"You absolutely are!" Trevor crowed. "You're worried what they'll think."

"I'm not," Adrian protested, weakly, "But what are you going to do if Father finds you wandering about in nothing but a bed sheet?"

"You're the reason I'm wearing one!"

Lisa realized she had paused outside of the door, listening intently. Her son must have been completely occupied to not have heard her approach. Now that she was paying attention, she realized there was the sound of scrubbing on cloth.

"Yes, well, I'll get you a change of clothes as soon as I get the mud out of my coat."

"...You want me to sit here, in the nude, while you wash out your coat."

"You're not nude, Trevor."

"You don't know that."

"...I'm _not_ looking."

"I didn't tell you to!"

Adrian sighed, haggard, and Lisa felt it a good time to step in.

As soon as she was in sight, feet planted in the doorway with arms folded and eyebrows cocked, both boys froze. Lisa looked at her son first, arms suspended over his dark coat, part way through scrubbing it clean of the generous amounts of mud along the back and sleeves. She noticed a fair amount on his pants, boots, and hair as well, slowly drying off and flaking in some places. Adrian's eyes fixated on hers, the look on his face reminding her of the times he was caught on the roof of their house as a child.

Trevor, on the other hand, while also surprised, looked more resigned. It was a look Lisa herself had worn on occasion, when things in life went exactly as expected: poorly. His own clothes were scattered, either in a pile on the floor or hanging haphazardly over random drying racks. The Belmont himself was wrapped up in multiple cloths, with towels over his waist, hung around his neck, and draped over his head. The rest of him was all wrapped up in a blue bed sheet.

Lisa wasn't sure what had happened, or whether laughter would be appropriate and helpful, so she kept her face still, tapping her fingers over her arm.

"Well? Who would care to explain?"

Adrian, the rascal, seemed to be getting used to her tactics, and answered, "Hello Mother. How unexpected." She noticed the nervous swallow afterwards, however.

Trevor, when her stern look turned on him, crumbled immediately. 

"Ah, yes, Lady Țepeș," he said, simultaneously tugging his bed sheet tighter and running a hand along his neck. "We were, uh, just cleaning. You know how it is when you go outside and..." He glanced at Adrian, who shook his head, nearly imperceptibly. "...Trip. Backwards. He's really clumsy, you know?"

Her son glared at Trevor.

"You boys were fighting," Lisa said firmly. Their winces confirmed it.

She looked Trevor over with a doctor's eye. No blood she could see, but his feet peeked out from beneath the sheet, paler than the rest of him. The furred boots on the floor were soaked through, with the nearby pile of pants, socks, and belt cloth in a similar state. Even the new cloak--hung to dry--had water soaked into the bottom. Lisa sighed and gestured Trevor towards her.

"Come on. We're getting you a new set of clothes and some warmth."

Trevor hesitated, and Adrian said, "Mother, it's really not-"

"It is absolutely necessary my son. Trevor has clearly been wading through freezing water, and he needs to be warmed up." Trevor stood up and moved towards her, looking sheepish. Lisa softened her eyes when she addressed her son again. "Adrian, leave the coat for the servants. Go clean yourself. No arguing."

Adrian closed his mouth and swallowed whatever his argument had been. He nodded, looked furtively at Trevor, and said, "I'm sorry for the mess. We'll help clean it up."

"Very good. Thank you, my son."

Lisa gestured Trevor to her once more and left the room, listening for footsteps to follow behind her.

"What exactly were you two trying to hide?" she asked. When she looked behind herself to Trevor, he cleared his throat, still gripping the sheets.

"Ah... well it wasn't my idea," he said, but offered nothing else.

"Trevor..." She slowed down. Lisa wasn't sure if he hid what happened because he was nervous for himself or her son. "I don't want either of you to feel that you need to hide things from us. We aren't going to get upset over a little mud."

The humor she put in her tone seemed to work, as Trevor chuckled. "Honestly it's... probably my fault."

"How so?"

Trevor sighed with a wordless noise. "It was- it was a joke, you know, but he seemed to take it pretty seriously so..." Trevor shrugged, nonchalant, but the flush on his ears told Lisa everything she needed to know.

"Oh...?" Trevor and her son had gotten closer than she had expected, and so quickly, too. "So you were 'fighting.'"

"...Yeah."

"And I suppose he was embarrassed about the way it started. Or ended."

"Sure. I mean yes."

"And you?" 

Trevor eyed her, then shrugged. "I don't care."

"About your 'fight,' you mean?"

"It happens, you know, sometimes. We worked it out." He shrugged again, looking more self-conscious. His words were measured, like he was still being careful not to say exactly what happened. "I don't think it's anything to get all worked up about..."

Lisa hummed to herself, then let a smile creep across her face. "You two are old enough to make your own decisions on the matter."

Trevor's forehead furrowed in confusion. "Wait, it doesn't bother you? I mean, he's your son, and I wasn't really planning on-"

Lisa patted his arm and shook her head. "Of course not. So long as it's a mutual agreement, and especially if it makes the both of you happy."

Trevor seemed to think for several long moments. "Alright. I'll- I'll keep that in mind?"

She hoped he would. Trevor and her son deserved a little more happiness.

"But next time," she said, voice teasing, "Try staying inside. There is plenty of space here."

"Wait, really?"

"We'll stay out of your way." Lisa brought a hand to her lips to press her giggles back. "I'll make sure my husband is amenable."

"Seems like that might be difficult," Trevor muttered, scratching along the bottom of his facial scar.

Lisa let out a short laugh. "Perhaps. But as I said, I want the both of you happy."

"Really." Trevor wasn't looking at her anymore. "What makes you think that would make him happy?"

Lisa stopped, pulling Trevor with her. The man looked so unbearably despondent, Lisa reached out to wrap her arms around him in a firm hug. He didn't reciprocate--partially because of the bed sheet, Lisa was sure--but she held him regardless.

"I know my son," she said. "But you can also talk to him about it."

When no answer was forthcoming, Lisa let go and directed Trevor up towards his room. Discussing any journeys would have to wait. It would take time, of course it would, but Lisa was determined to see the young man enjoy happiness without fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trevor and Lisa are thinking on completely different wavelengths right now. ^^; Hehe. Boy, Lisa is harder to write than I remembered. Thank my roommate for the length of the chapter. She insisted it be posted together, despite the separate POV.
> 
> Ah, before you ask! I **can** fill in the uh, time skip there. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) I did not in this chapter for several reasons: It's not written, it would have interrupted flow, and I planned to give it it's own connected one shot. Idk, are y'all interested in something like that? How many people wanna see Vlad and Lisa's love life? Raise hands!
> 
> Other than that, I'll continue to get my huge mess in order, haha. Laters~


	5. Trevor - Drinking Not So Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor buries feelings the only way he knows how and makes a mess.

Red swirled around in the glass, a mimicry of the blood Dracula likely drank when Trevor wasn't looking. He laughed, the sound stuttered and hiccuping. When was the last time he'd had a proper drink?

Trevor shifted on his chair. The table in front of him carried several bottles, each with a different alcoholic spirit inside. Currently, Trevor was drinking a rich red wine, similar to what had been offered at the most recent dinners with the Țepeș family.

Dinner was the only meal he shared with all of them; Trevor figured it was due to Dracula's nocturnal schedule. Did that make dinner into breakfast for him? Trevor chuckled again.

He hadn't drank as much since coming to the castle; Since nearly being burned, getting rescued, and being treated at the castle. Lisa was probably the reason for the absence of alcohol until recently. Apparently, proper drinks were bad for his health while he was recovering. Trevor couldn't recall. He did remember drinking lots of water though.

"Well, they won't separate us now," he promised his glass. "You 'n I, we're together now."

He knocked back the rest of the wine then, feeling it burn down. A satisfied grunt left him, and he pawed across the table, knocking into the bottle with his hand before he grabbed it and poured another glass. It really was a fine glass. Smooth all the way around and perfectly clear. How did Dracula get such fancy cups?

Trevor contemplated it, staring into the dark liquid. Then he shrugged and swallowed some more. His head buzzed pleasantly, his sight swimming when he looked around the room. Where was he again?

Nothing much adorned the stone walls. Maybe some tools and those weird lights. There was a cupboard or two lining the walls, maybe three? Trevor stood from the chair, wobbling, and walked over to find out. He touched three, then went back and touched two. Wait, had he already counted one?

Trevor took another sip of the wine.

"That's good shit," he said, nodding to himself. "Always knew Drac had the good stuff. Can't all be blood right?"

He laughed at his own joke. It was a complete lie; He'd never had thoughts of Dracula's possible alcohol stores. Still, no one was around to hear him, so what was the harm?

He opened a cupboard and leaned his head in. Cloth. Huh. He squinted and brought one up to his face. Kinda looked like tablecloths or something. He dragged out the one he was holding and flung it across the floor. Yup, looked long enough.

Seeing the bright, probably expensive cloth crumpled on the floor, Trevor laughed again. "Dracula would be pretty mad if I threw e'erything on the floor." He decided to do just that.

A few swipes off his arms lay a good number of tablecloths on the floor. They came in an array of colors, but Trevor noticed reds of varying shades were most prominent.

Deciding they didn't look disheveled enough just lumped in a pile, he plopped down to the floor and set about throwing them in random directions. When they couldn't go far enough, he lay out along the ground, dragging some cloth with him to toss.

He giggled and went to drink more, only to realize his glass was mysteriously empty.

"Huh." He peered inside and stuck his tongue in. "Nope. Gone."

"Trevor? What in hell's name are you doing?"

He peered over to see someone standing at the door. Blonde. He knew blonde people. Oh!

"It's poncy ass Adrian," Trevor declared in a slurred voice, "I knew it!"

Adrian moved closer, and Trevor could tell the expression on his face was displeased. Adrian was always displeased.

"You drank th' rest of my wine, didn't you?"

"I most certainly did not, Trevor Belmont." He crouched down to look Trevor in the eyes. "What I have done is come to see why you are loitering about in the napery, scaring off the staff, and getting drunk."

"Adrian," Trevor said, drawing out the name, "You do care."

He attempted to wriggle himself towards the dhampir, hindered by his uncooperative limbs and the piles of tablecloths lying around him. He protested when he felt the glass get tugged from his hand.

"Y'see?" he said, trying to wave his finger at Adrian. He felt like it might've pointed slightly to the side. "You did take my drink."

Adrian sighed and reached down, wrapping his arms around Trevor's torso. "You really do not require any more. Besides which, the vessel was emptied. Onto the tablecloth beneath you, it seems." He levered Trevor up, supporting him as he listed to the side.

Trevor came to be partially sitting, but with limp muscles, he mostly leaned against Adrian. He blinked his eyes to clear up some of his vision, surprised to find Adrian's face so close to his. It wavered something awful though. Trevor reached out a hand to steady it, but missed, and grabbed at some of Adrian's hair instead.

"Y- You know something?" he asked. Through his blurry sight, he thought he saw Adrian's eyes narrow and his mouth pull down.

"I know a great number of things, Trevor. One of which is that you should be banned from drinking alone."

Trevor laughed, even as Adrian grabbed the hand in his hair and attempted to uncurl the fingers. "You're a fucking bastard. I like you," he declared.

"I appreciate that," Adrian said in a dry tone. "Let go of my hair."

"I mean- I mean it you know," Trevor insisted. It suddenly seemed very important to get this point across. "You're very pretty. Do you like me too?"

Adrian looked at him closely, even as he detached Trevor's hand from his hair and returned it to the floor. "Trevor..." He sighed and redoubled his hold to lift Trevor. Shaking off some of the haze, Trevor used his newly free hand and grasped the white shirt before him, looking Adrian in the eyes. He wasn't entirely sure why, but Trevor needed to hear the answer.

"Yes, I like you," Adrian finally said, his smile mirroring Trevor's, though more restrained. "Now come on, you're quite drunk."

"Hm, I am," Trevor agreed, as he was lifted to stand. "Drink with me?"

"Not on your life. I'm not certain how long you've been in here, but I can see how much you've had already, and it's far too much."

Trevor whined and complained, but either his words weren't coming out right or Adrian was being an ass. Probably that. "Look," he finally managed, wobbling to the side until Adrian caught him, "I can still do stuff. I can fight."

"I doubt it. And what would the purpose of that be?"

"I can," Trevor insisted. "Watch."

Hooking a leg around Adrian's he gave a quick sweep. The dhampir let out a sharp "Fuck!" as he fell onto the tablecloths, taking Trevor with him. Trevor did not hit the colorful array beneath, as he felt Adrian's arms wrap around to cushion him. Trevor's head spun wildly at the movement, and his stomach lurched. Not the best idea he'd had today.

Even so, when Adrian glared at him, he felt the need to defend his actions. "See? I'm perfect. No problems."

"You have several problems, and I'm beginning to think lack of common sense is foremost among them."

"Adrian," Trevor whined.

The dhampir ignored him, getting to his knees first before lifting Trevor, then hooking one arm around his shoulders and heaving them both to their feet. Trevor was having trouble seeing straight, so he graciously let Adrian lead. He was feeling tired anyway.

"Where're we going?" Trevor questioned.

"To bed," Adrian answered, voice curt. "You need to drink some water, eat something simple, and go to sleep."

Trevor hummed, but his mind wandered elsewhere. His attention had been caught by the lights on the walls again. "You ever wonder what they are?"

"You'll have to be more specific Trevor."

"The lights." He waved one limp hand towards a sconce. "What do they run on? They aren't on fire, but you said they aren't magic."

Adrian sighed. "This isn't really a discussion we can have now. It would take quite a while." He paused. "And you're drunk."

"Ah, yeah, that's right," Trevor said, wavering in Adrian's strong hold. "That's why we're sleeping together!"

Adrian froze; They even came to a stop in the hall. Trevor looked around but didn't see a bed. He did notice a tall dark figure at the end of the hall.

With a small, almost unheard swallow, Adrian spoke up. "Father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, Trevor is being really irresponsible. Don't drink alone. Know your limits. Hydrate. Eat proteins and carbs. PSA over.
> 
> Okay! Whew. We've seen Trevor drunk exactly once in the show, and he's happier now, so...? Now he's tossing tablecloths I guess. What a dork.  
> And it looks like Drac's learning stuff faster than anticipated! Even if it is all out of context, haha. What do Drac and Lisa think is happening between the boys at this point? (*≧艸≦) 
> 
> Speaking of things happening! (winkwinknudgenudge) I'll write the Drac/Lisa one shot soon, since I received such enthusiasm from y'all. Expect that in the future! I'll make sure to notify you guys in my notes, but you can also keep an eye on the series. ^^ Laters~


	6. Vlad - Discovery and Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad comes across Adrian and Trevor, and ends up thinking about similar parts of his own past.

Vlad raised his brows as he looked at his son and the Belmont boy. Obviously, by his smell and the unfocused look about him, the young hunter was drunk. Adrian had his arm around the boy, supporting him in his attempts to walk, practically carrying him.

However, what had caught Vlad's attention was what the Belmont had blurted out not moments before. His son addressed him, a conflicted, almost trapped expression on his face. It was admirable he chose not to flee the scene.

"Son," Vlad said, nodding his head in greeting and approaching the two. "What is this?"

"I figured out where Trevor had been, Father, and went to fetch him." Adrian adjusted his grip on the Belmont. "It seems he found the stock of wine. Either that or one of the servants brought him some. I found him in the napery just down the hall."

Vlad frowned. It had been clear to both he and his son that the Belmont had been drinking heavily before he rescued Lisa. They had discussed it together with his wife and all agreed it was likely because of the death of his entire clan. Vlad had been the one to institute the limitations on Belmont's alcohol intake, for several reasons, one being his health. Alcohol had been a poor idea while he was recovering from his burns, as he had needed to stay hydrated. Another reason for the limitations was Belmonts--as per Vlad's experience--were unbearable when drunk. Vlad had only recently allowed wine to be served at the dinners they all shared, and even then, he allowed but one glass.

He might've known a Belmont would find a way around the rules, even when they were put in place for his own sake.

"I see," Vlad said.

"You've gotta lot of... fucking tablecloths," Belmont interjected. The boy stared blearily in his direction.

"And how would you know that, Belmont?"

When the boy burst into giggles, Adrian answered in his stead. "He threw quite a number of them on the floor. The reason for which I can't fathom." The Belmont laughed harder.

"I find that drunks often have little reason," Vlad said. "Something that Leon knew as well as I, yet it seems not to have passed down."

Adrian cocked his head in question. Ah yes, he hadn't revealed the whole story to his son, had he? He supposed it was about time, considering his age and the Belmont currently residing with them.

Said Belmont turned to Vlad with a pointing finger. "Th' fuck do you know about Leon Belmont?"

"Quite a lot more than you might think, Belmont."

"Oh," Trevor said, drawing out the word in a taunting tone, "Is that so?"

Vlad looked to his son. "I will not keep you any longer. It appears he needs rest."

"You don't know what I need," Trevor protested. "You don't- uh... human stuff."

Adrian closed his eyes, looking as though he was pleading for patience. A perfectly understandable thing to do when confronted with such bullheaded obstinance.

"Go on Adrian," Vlad said. "I expect you will have a time getting him to his room."

"Yes, but I will manage." 

Vlad nodded. "Then I wish you luck."

"Have a good night, Father."

They parted and both continued down the hall in opposite directions. Vlad only turned his head when the Belmont boy shouted his name.

"Dracula! Hey, Drac, you listening? I'm gonna sleep with your son!"

Adrian immediately shushed him, and Vlad heard the footsteps speed up. Vlad turned forward and kept moving. A smile tugged on his mouth. He trusted his son to show proper discretion with the young hunter, regardless of how provocative he was while drunk. It was rather amusing, actually.

Still, perhaps he would check in on them later, just to be sure the boy wasn't giving his son too hard of a time.

When he came across the napery, he was unsurprised to find the mess Adrian had described. Servants were already picking up the scattered, colorful cloths, and the bottles of alcohol were being swept away.

"Make sure those are not so easily accessed," he commanded. The skeleton clattered and bowed.

Since the room was taken care of, Vlad found his mind wandering, strongly, towards some old belongings of his, nearly forgotten. It took him but a few moments to slide through the shadows, but he came out in a deeper part of the castle. Quiet suffused the space, the lighting dimmer and decoration sparse. He walked the few steps needed to reach a beautiful, yellow-brown Mulberry door etched with orange blossoms and zinnias, and turned the handle. Inside was just as he'd left it.

A simple table sat along the far wall, the room completely dark until Dracula waved a hand, lighting all the candle stands. The small flames cast everything in gentle yellow light. Dracula moved forward as though in a trance, his gaze on the objects resting upon the table while also looking back into past memories. Wine red cloth, folded with care into a basket-like shape, housed two rings: one silver and the other gold.

Vlad reached the table and knelt before it, placing his forehead down against the cool grain; Nowhere else would he do this, but these memories deserved his respect. Reaching up, Vlad brushed his fingers across the two bands, telling them apart by their distinctive shapes and the slight tingle in his skin sliding across pure silver. A thick lump formed in his throat, and his words barely made it past.

"Elisabetha." The name came out a whisper, a caress.

With the quiet surrounding him like a secondary cloak, Vlad let his mind wander back to his past life, to Mathias Cronqvist. His fingers brushed over the gold ring, smooth all the way around until he reached a square bump with a distinct, pitted surface. This he knew to be the place on the ring with images carved on the surface: himself and his late wife, a cross binding them together.

Mathias closed his eyes. After so many years, he had no more tears to shed, but the wound in his soul still pained him. It pulled and tugged and wrenched the breath from him until all he could do was murmur the name of his late wife, over and over, a morbid mantra. Kneeling like this, whispering the name like an incantation, Mathias came the closest to praying he ever did.

Taking in a deep breath, as though he expected to scream, the emotional grip on his throat and chest had him whisper, raggedly, "I miss you."

And he did. Mathias shook for a few more moments, his heart growing despondent with the burden of memory. How lovely she had been. How fierce, in her own way. That such a swift and brutal illness had taken her was unjust, cruel. The heaviness did not leave him at the thought, but set a flame burning in his chest.

_How dare God take such a woman from the Earth. How dare He, when she had been nothing but faithful while her husband fought in His name and-_

His hand brushed silver, the tingle jumping through his skin and breaking the swirl of thoughts. This ring's shape he knew just as intimately as the first. A thick band connected at the top by two intertwined hands. A drunken gift, accompanied by a smile and laughter like sunlight reflected off water.

_"We're companions, aren't we?"_

It was the only time Leon had gotten drunk. He was bright, loud, and overly handsy. Despite initial protests, Leon had not relented on giving Mathias his ring, and so he had accepted it; He wore it for years in the Crusades, and kept it on him for many years after. Smoothed ridges and dips welcomed his light touches.

The feelings which filled Mathias when he thought of Leon were more complicated than those for his late wife. They had grown up together, learning the ways of the world, confronting changes within themselves and each other, all with the solid presence of a true friend at their side.

Mathias had welcomed Leon into his study for late nights of learning. Only half of that time had been spent teaching his friend; Leon was nothing if not a distraction. As if trying to make up for it, Leon was persistent and focused when it came to learning the martial arts and often dragged Mathias along for sparring. While he was never as skilled as his friend, Mathias did end up enjoying the exertion which came with their little sessions, and the calm of the baths afterwards.

Even when they had both been off to war, they were inseparable. Their company was undefeated, largely thanks to the work the two of them had put in, each utilizing their own strengths. Then Elisabetha had died, and Mathias's grief had consumed him.

He remembered hearing of Leon's betrothal to Sara Trantoul, remembered the feeling of utter loneliness as Leon's visits to his sickbed became more sparse, the fear and jealousy as he finally stopped coming at all. Those feelings had congealed with his grief to form a bitter betrayal which made his stomach roll. Even now, he felt vestiges of those emotions bubble in his gut.

Oh, how he'd wanted Leon to feel what he felt, to have him understand as they did in their youth. Once Leon finally had understood though, once he'd been put through such pain, he only stared Mathias in the eyes, defiant, and declared his hunt. Such strength he'd shown, such faith in humanity! Mathias couldn't comprehend it.

Almost four hundred years later, with a loving family, Vlad thought he might.

Trying to swallow down his grief, fingertips brushing over the silver, grasped hands, he whispered the words he wished he had been brave enough to give when Leon was still alive.

"I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everyone was probably expecting a bigger reaction but uh, let's just say Drac doesn't really consider Trevor any sort of threat at this point. But he totally doesn't like him guys! Nope, no sir, not even a little. The Belmont boy is just an idiot. Pssshhh fatherly feelings, what are those??? 
> 
> So, hmm, yeah, Vlad kinda wandered off to do this own thing. His own, very sad thing. (´;︵;`) Buuuut, it means more Lament of Innocence lore! I particularly love that cheesy game, so I'm glad it was hinted at in the show.
> 
> Guys, I had to do some serious research for Vlad. He better appreciate it! The door and rings are suuuper symbolic. It would have been incredibly expensive to make a door out of Mulberry, so the fact Dracula went to all that trouble when it was thought to ward off evil is, well, touching. Now obviously flowers have multiple meanings, but the ones I used are thus: Orange blossoms for eternal love, zinnias for lasting affection and thinking (or in memory) of an absent friend.  
> And yes, both rings are, technically, wedding/betrothal bands. ;D
> 
> Next time, back to Trevor's regularly scheduled drunkenness!


	7. Adrian - Holding Tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian comes to understand more of what feelings plague Trevor.

"What the hell was that Trevor?" Adrian hissed.

He kept his pace brisk as he strode down the hall, the drunk hunter supported by an arm around his side and his own thrown across Adrian's shoulders.

"That was Dracula," Trevor replied.

"I am perfectly aware of that. What I meant was why you were antagonizing him. And why-?" Adrian cleared his throat. "Why would you, _specifically_ , mention... sex."

"I did?" Adrian glared at Trevor's face until it lit up with recognition. Unfortunately, the words were not what he wanted to hear. "We're gonna have sex?"

"No. No, Trevor." Adrian groaned and marched on. "Nevermind. I suppose asking you for an apology in this state would be an exercise in futility."

A thought crossed his mind that asking Trevor for an apology in _any_ state was difficult.

"So what're we doing?" Trevor listed heavily to the side and Adrian had to tighten his grip.

"I've told you, you are going to sleep. After you drink some water, at least. The wine is clearly still going through your system." 

Trevor leaned his weight against Adrian and smiled. "You... you are so pretty. I thought so when you took care of me the first time."

"And you are getting drunker by the minute," Adrian said, though he couldn't help heating at the compliment.

They reached Trevor's room then, and Adrian opened the door to drag him inside. The hunter slumped onto the bed with no protest, so Adrian set about procuring water. He stuck his head out into the hall and called for a servant.

One stepped out from a nearby door and clattered up to him. He requested for the kitchen to send up something simple for Trevor to eat, as well as a pitcher and cup for water. Then he said, "And please let the rest of the staff know that Trevor is not to get any alcohol on his own."

The skeleton nodded and clattered away. He came back in only a moment with the water, then bowed and headed for the kitchen.

By the time Adrian had come back and poured water into the cup, Trevor had his eyes closed and snored away on the bed. Adrian sighed. While sleeping would do Trevor good, waking dehydrated would not. He'd end up with an awful hangover regardless, but the water would diminish it some.

"Trevor," he called softly, shaking the man. He opened his eyes, bleary. "I'll help you sit up. You need to drink this."

Trevor was surprisingly cooperative and, with Adrian pacing him, drank the whole cup. He smacked his lips and blinked slowly. Adrian set the cup to the side and piled pillows up behind Trevor so he could lean back against the headboard.

"How are you feeling?" Adrian asked.

"Fine." Trevor looked around. "My room?"

"Yes." Adrian thought for a moment. While Trevor would be more lucid come morning, he might not be as forthcoming, and Adrian might never truly know what was going on in his head. Decision made, he asked, "Why did you drink so much?"

"Hm? Drinking a lot gets you drunk. Like me," he said, pointing to himself with enthusiasm.

"Yes, I can see that. But why?"

Now Trevor paused. Adrian wasn't sure if he was thinking the question over or had lost his train of thought again. Adrian was ready to repeat his question when Trevor answered in a soft voice.

"I had to." He continued just as soft before Adrian could speak. "I don't know. I thought... I didn't wanna think anymore. Thinking is hard. I didn't wanna think about my family, or your family, or you."

Pain twinged in Adrian's heart, but he swallowed his apprehension and grabbed Trevor's hand. "Trevor, do I- Does staying here make you unhappy?"

Trevor nodded, and Adrian nearly left the room, but then Trevor shook his head. "I don't know. I think a lot when I'm here. Lisa keeps giving me clothes and hugging me. Dracula isn't fighting me, he just... I don't know. He laughs at me. He doesn't get angry when I do the same thing." Trevor looked at Adrian, pale blue eyes shimmering. "You keep touching me. You smile at me. Then you ask me for something hard. Why do you do that?"

Adrian swallowed and found all his words had dried up. How was he supposed to answer those questions? Did their actions make so little sense to this man? This man, who had helped Lisa out of the kindness of his heart, did not understand the kindness of others.

Adrian covered his mouth and breathed deeply. He sat down next to Trevor on the bed and looped both arms around the man, holding him close, as though he could hold the man himself together, so no more pieces would fall out.

"Trevor," he whispered. "We do those things because we want to."

"You're doing it now," Trevor murmured. "Why?"

"Because..." Adrian gaped. How did he explain it? The twisting ache in his chest seemed beyond words. Trevor raised his own arms and wound them around Adrian's waist.

"Can I, can I do them too?" he asked quietly.

Adrian turned his face down into the hunter's shoulder and desperately bit back the hitches in his breath. "Yes," he said, "Please do."

Trevor leaned on his shoulder and didn't say anything else, even as Adrian let small tears drip onto Trevor's shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I end two in a row sad?? Sorry. :< Buuut this one is more bittersweet at least? Adrian isn't gonna let him stay sad and lonely. Trevor will be happy, dammit!
> 
> And I thiiiink we're reaching towards the end of this phase of my AU. That's what I'm planning for, anyway. Then we move to the next part! ~~I've created a monster. It's devouring me.~~
> 
> Thanks everyone for all your sweet comments! I try my best to answer them, even when I'm slow as balls, haha. Oh! And I hope everyone who celebrates it has been having a happy Hanukkah! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	8. Trevor - But I Get Up Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Trevor's most recent drinking bout. Getting both taken care of and reprimanded at the same time gives him things to consider.

Trevor came to with a groan. A headache pounded at the inside of his skull, and he rolled over to attempt to go back to sleep. Shit, Dracula's wine was something stronger than he was used to. Even after he'd had- after... Wait. He'd gotten water and food, right?

His memory was still fuzzy, but he knew he'd eaten. The simple fact his stomach wasn't clenching on itself was telling; Usually he would wake up starving after a night of drinking. Of course he should have figured it wouldn't happen, since he was staying in Castlevania.

The thought had his eyes pop open. If he didn't feed himself, it had to have been someone else. Who? Not a servant, surely. He forced himself to focus until Adrian came to mind. Ah, of course.

Trevor groaned and shuffled into the pillow beneath him. Sleeping seemed more important now, so he could thank the pompous bastard later. Or not. Maybe he could forget the whole reason he drank, too.

A creaking door quickly dampened his idea.

"Trevor? Are you awake?" Trevor grumbled at the smooth voice. "Ah."

Trevor cracked open one eye. Adrian strode across the room and set down a tray on the bedside table. A teapot, cup, and steaming bowl sat on it. The room wasn't too bright, as the curtains were left drawn.

"Do you need assistance?"

"Shove off fangs," Trevor groaned, "I've been hungover before."

He levered himself up with one arm and peered over at the tray. He couldn't see much from his angle, but he did get a glimpse of simple porridge in the bowl. Hm. Maybe he could actually stomach it.

He flipped over and sat up properly, scrubbing at his eyes.

"I don't feel like complete shit," Trevor said.

Adrian snorted. "Surprising, considering what you look and smell like. Though it is good to know my efforts were of some use."

Trevor grabbed at the teapot and peered inside. Inside the container was too dark to make out, but it wasn't only tea. "What _did_ you do?"

"There is not much one can do when someone has gone and drunk nearly an entire bottle of strong wine." Adrian sounded reprimanding. "I helped you back to your room, and made sure you stayed hydrated and had something to eat."

"Did I puke?"

"You did not."

"Shame. I'd pay money to see you deal with that." Trevor gave Adrian a sharp grin.

"Charming." He snatched the teapot out of Trevor's hands and poured a cupful before handing it over.

"What is this? More weird concoctions?"

"It is simply ginger tea with lemon. Hopefully it will assist in your digestion of breakfast while quelling any lingering nausea you might have."

"Ginger huh?" Trevor took a sip and grimaced at the sharp flavor. "Fancy."

"And apparently not to your tastes," Adrian noted with amusement. "Though it hardly matters."

Contrary to his words, he pulled a small container off the tray and opened the lid. Inside was a thick, sticky looking gold liquid.

"Honey?" Trevor questioned, letting Adrian spoon some into his cup.

"For troublesome patients," Adrian said with a grin.

Trevor snorted and took another sip. Much better.

"Gotta say fangs, I don't think I've ever had someone taking care of me after a night of drinking. People have usually kicked me out of their bars by then. Sick of me, I guess."

"You were an absolute handful drunk," Adrian agreed. "That is something you will not be doing for a long time yet."

Trevor narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means that your drinking privileges are suspended. At least until we can be sure you'll be responsible."

"Privileges?"

"Yes, Trevor Belmont." And Adrian looked serious now, his eyes shining bright, even in the relative darkness of the room. "The wine you drank does not belong to you, nor was it offered. Beyond that though, you drank an obscene amount, alone, and could have ended up poisoning yourself. What do you think might have happened had I not found you?"

"Uhh." Trevor leaned back from Adrian's intense stare. "I guess I would've woken up on the floor?"

"You could have drunk more and ended up choking on your own bile. You could have fallen and smashed your head on the stone." Adrian was shaking, hands clenched in his lap.

"All risks of drinking," Trevor said. "Done it before."

"You-!" Adrian closed his eyes and took calming breaths. Trevor didn't understand where the anger was coming from. Adrian had accused him of being a drunkard before; Hell, he'd said it just yesterday. It was yesterday, right? Trevor's head throbbed again and he drank his cooling tea.

"You could have died," Adrian whispered.

Meeting his eyes was too difficult now. A tingling joined the churning of his stomach, and Trevor wasn't certain the feeling was all left over from his drunken binge.

"Nearly done that too," Trevor admitted.

"Not here you won't." A heat of indignation flared through Trevor, and he looked up. "Goddammit Trevor, you are an insufferably stubborn mule, but I will not let you drink yourself to an early grave."

Trevor's head was spinning. "How will you stop me?"

Adrian leaned over Trevor, their faces close. "I will follow you all day and night if I have to."

"That's... that's really creepy, fangs."

Adrian huffed. "Then I suppose you should try to have some common sense, shouldn't you?"

"About what? Look, I've been drinking on the road for a while, and- Okay, yeah, the wine was not what I was used to, but I know how much I can take. That wasn't nearly enough to kill me."

"Do you even remember how much you drank?"

"I-!" Trevor stopped, mouth gaping. "Almost a full bottle?"

Adrian did not look amused, his mouth flat and eyes shimmering. "Do you even remember last night at all?"

Trevor tried. He really did. He actually remembered being in some room the servants probably used. He had picked it specifically so no one from the Țepeș family would stumble upon him. What else?

"Uh, I might've thrown some shit on the floor? That's pretty mild, for me."

Adrian ran a hand down his face and breathed again. When he backed up, Trevor set his empty cup on the side table. Adrian stayed silent.

"Look, I don't really see the big deal. I'm clearly fine."

"You quite clearly are not, if you think losing memories of an entire night is fine." Adrian looked up at him. The depth in his golden eyes made Trevor's stomach flip. "Trevor, please. Why did you do it?"

Shit. Trevor never took him as the sort to beg, and he wasn't really, but his eyes. They looked tired, and sad, and just... pleading. Like he had this small hope Trevor would talk to him. Trevor found he couldn't crush that.

Of course, he couldn't explain exactly why he drank either, so he asked a related question. "Adrian, why do you want me to go with you on some mission to save the good people of Wallachia?"

"I am willing to explain. If you'll listen to all of it this time."

Trevor rubbed his neck. He had kinda run off, hadn't he? "I... Fine. I'm listening." Adrian placed the bowl of porridge in his hands and began.

"My mother has several contacts throughout Wallachia, as well as some beyond the borders. They are people who also practice the true science, many doctors, but not all. There are also people who still study the ancient art of alchemy, though they do not stay in Wallachia."

Spooning the sweet porridge into his mouth, Trevor kept his mouth busy eating, content to listen for now. Adrian took note and continued.

"My mother was accused of being a witch because of her knowledge. The bishop of Târgoviște knew of the contents of my mother's workshop, and branded her a heretic and practitioner of black magic. The church..." Adrian faltered but shook his head and kept going. "I am not sure of other parts of the world, but at the very least, the archbishop in this region denounces the study and practice of science. Any who show interest are likely to be targeted."

Trevor nodded. "That's not surprising."

"I suppose not," Adrian conceded. "Not to you."

Trevor swirled the spoon around in the last of his meal. It seemed he was keeping it down alright; A small relief.

"Regardless, I am not asking-" Adrian stopped and restarted. "I will not be going to speak to every person I come across. Mother has a list of people she knows from her visits and correspondences, and she wishes they should at least know the real danger they are in. From there... It shall be their decision what they wish to do."

"Like turn you in to the church, right?" Trevor said bitterly.

"I will not stick around long enough."

"And what if they really do want your help? Are you going to help them leave Wallachia? Carry their packs hundreds of miles until they're beyond the grip of the archbishop?"

"That's ridiculous-"

"Is it?" Trevor was glaring now. "Be straight with me Adrian. What, exactly, are you asking me to do?"

They stared at each other for several long moments. The air was heavy but Trevor would not back down. He'd spent his time bumbling around the countryside, waiting to die--either from taking out a monster or the church finally catching up to him. He didn't _want_ to do so now, not with the church so focused on him, and not for some people he'd never met when all he wanted was right-

Trevor couldn't help but inhale a sharp breath. Adrian blinked in confusion, but Trevor was too lost in what he'd just discovered. He wanted to stay here. At Castlevania. For so long he'd wandered and not given a shit about what happened to him. Suddenly... suddenly a family shows him kindness and he... Trevor finds he can't put it at risk. He finally has something he wants, something he yearns for with all his heart and goddammit he'll fight for it.

Trevor felt a cool hand on his.

"All I'm asking, is that you travel with me, Trevor. If... if you choose to."

God, and here was this confusing, ~~beautiful,~~ mysterious man who was going out into danger just because he believed it the right thing to do. Trevor saw in his eyes the exact same look Lisa gave him while talking to him about making the world a better place. He found he might actually believe it this time.

"Really. Just follow behind you. That's it?" Trevor tried for a smile and was rewarded with a small one from Adrian.

"If you need a reason, I suppose you could watch my back. Just in case."

"Are you worried you can't take care of humans with farming tools without me?"

Adrian laughed. "I believe that is the other way around."

"I'll have you know I am a skilled fighter."

"I've yet to see that," Adrian said, smirking.

"You saw me fight just yesterday!" Trevor protested, and set his meal to the side.

"Did I?" 

_Little shit,_ Trevor thought. "Fine. You and me. Grab your weapon and let's go." He stood up and grabbed at his head. His headache was better, but ouch.

"Trevor, sit down and have some more tea." Adrian smiled, amused.

"Absolutely not. We're fighting, and when I kick your ass you'll admit you need me on this trip of yours."

Adrian's grin grew, and a predatory look crossed his eyes. "Oh, while you fall over from head pains? I'd like to see you try."

Trevor whipped his hand away from his head. "Fine. And I don't have any head pain."

As he walked over to the wardrobe--a temporary storage for his equipment--he heard Adrian chuckle. "I suppose I don't have to go easy on you then."

"You had better not. I seem to remember catching you by the arm yesterday."

Adrian made an indignant sound. "We weren't fighting. You caught me off guard."

"A legitimate tactic," Trevor said, smirking over his shoulder.

Adrian's almost sullen response of, "I think my father was right about your lack of proper form," just made his smile grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love researching food! :D ...Ahem. Welp, next chapter is the last for this section, so yay! Fight, fight, fight _fight_! I'm writing that out now, cause apparently my brain has decided to fill in all the gaps I purposefully left during NaNo.   
> Remember when I said the fics in this AU wouldn't all be back-to-back? Hahahaha me neither.
> 
> But hey, at least Trevor is learning to be honest with himself. Just a little. In his mind. Progress!


	9. Trevor - Never Gonna Keep Me Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian and Trevor fight, but keep getting distracted. By each other.

Trevor wished for a sword. Having only his whip and a single knife--one which wasn't even good for throwing--severely limited his fighting style. He worked best when he could take his opponents off guard, so working with only Vampire Killer was challenging him. He didn't hate it though. It wasn't often he got to use his family whip to its full capacity; Monster hunts were rare for him, and using a Belmont weapon for bandits and the like would have been asking for trouble. He relished in the burn of his muscles as he whirled the whip through the air, cracking it in ways which would corral Adrian into position for the next strikes.

To his credit, Adrian was quick, both in terms of his actions and his reflexes. Vampire Killer snapped against air or stone more often than Trevor's intended target; He was glad for the open area of the training room. A few new rips adorned Adrian's shirt, but they were the only marks Trevor left thus far, all glancing blows.

"Getting tired of running yet?" Trevor taunted. What his skill and tools currently lacked, he could probably make up for with purposeful annoyance. "I thought we were fighting."

"Just letting you warm up," Adrian said. He completed a maneuver midair to dodge another snap of blessed leather, pushing off a nearby wall with his feet.

"Or you can't get close."

Adrian seemed to favor action over words, blurring into the space right behind Trevor.

"Shit-!" Trevor lept to the side, bringing the holy whip up to regain his lost buffer space. As he saw Adrian parrying the strikes with his sword, he got an idea and swept the whip low. Adrian, possibly wary of falling to his back again, jumped. A triumphant smile curved across Trevor's face as he tried out a seldom used trick.

With one finger as a simple axle, he pulled the whip around and up to snap at Adrian. Vampire Killer struck him with enough force to knock him from the air, and despite landing in a crouch, Adrian skidded backwards several feet.

For one long moment, neither of them moved. Golden hair cascaded down Adrian's shoulders and hung around his face, shielding much of it from Trevor's sight. When the dhampir made no move to continue--in fact made no moves at all--his heart gave a hard _thump_.

The blow had been the first real connect; Yesterday he had wrapped the whip around Adrian's arm, but it hadn't had nearly as much force behind it. Even so, Adrian had looked to be in pain. Trevor hadn't noticed any marks on him, but...

Finally, movement brought Trevor out of his worries, only to push him into a set of new ones. Fierce golden eyes glared at him, pupils thin, and Adrian hissed deep in his throat, an honest-to-God vampiric hiss with his elongated fangs on full display. Trevor's heart picked up pace for an entirely different reason from before, and he swallowed.

Words failed him. He wanted to say something, _anything_ , which would let him know Adrian was still in control of himself, but he couldn't breathe, couldn't look away.

Adrian lunged.

Trevor cursed under his breath, dodging and swinging his whip with more speed, barely keeping the sword from piercing him. "Come on, Adrian," he said after a particularly close call, "I don't think one hit calls for- Fuck! Decapitation."

In a move of desperation, Trevor aimed at Adrian's arm, hoping to temporarily immobilize him like the day before. Adrian, it seemed, had wised up to his strategy and caught the whip on his sword. The two stared at each other, and in the blink of an eye, Adrian pulled the whip and Trevor along with it. Trevor stumbled briefly, but ran with the momentum, pulling his one knife out with his free hand as he got closer. He cracked the whip as he got in range, and felt as Adrian allowed his sword to be taken from his hand. It didn't bode well, but Trevor couldn't stop his strategy now. Already close enough to use the knife, he thrust it forward several times, Adrian dodging each one. With one quick motion, he caught Trevor's forearm in a tight grip.

Trevor wasted no time dropping the whip handle and driving his freed fist into a solid gut. Adrian didn't move, didn't even grunt.

Then he spun Trevor around and slammed him into the nearest wall.

Air left Trevor's lungs in a great huff, his arm holding the knife was twisted behind his back until he had to let go. It wasn't until Trevor felt heavy breaths on the back of his neck that he realized the danger he was in. Trevor sucked in a breath, squirming in an effort to gain any sort of leverage. Adrian just pushed harder against him.

"You lost," Adrian said. His voice was rough, low like a growl.

Trevor held back a shiver. "Not yet, I haven't."

"No?" Adrian pressed closer to him and moved one hand up to twine in the short hairs at his neck. He didn't pull, but Trevor caught himself tilting his head back. What was he _doing_? Hoping to provide easier access to a vein? Stupid, stupid. "You are disarmed and captured. Admit defeat."

Trevor smiled. With a breathy voice--that was a surprise--he said, "Never. Belmonts don't give up."

One swipe with his foot put Adrian off balance, then all Trevor had to do was shove backwards with all his weight. They fell to the ground, Adrian cursing, "Third time in two days-!" even when the air should have been pushed out of him. Trevor took the opportunity to turn onto his front, hoping to pin the dhampir. Adrian wasn't having it. He rolled both of them over and attempted to restrain Trevor's arms. Trevor, unwilling to be pinned down completely, seized Adrian's shirt and bucked. While he didn't get Adrian off, the dhampir had to stop grabbing at Trevor's arms to position himself securely.

Scowling, Adrian grasped Trevor's jaw. Adrenaline still pumped through Trevor's veins, heightening every touch and driving him to act. He jerked his head up, then down, managing to get loose enough from the grip to open his mouth and bite down--lightly--on the skin between the thumb and forefinger.

A low hiss rolled from Adrian, this one seeming much less threatening as his pupils expanded, taking over the brighter yellow surrounding them.

"Again we are on the ground," Adrian said. His voice still held a slight echo from the lingering hiss. All the hairs on the back of Trevor's neck stood up, and he abruptly wished Adrian's hand was back there to smooth them. "Trevor, why are you so fond of-?"

Involuntarily Trevor swallowed, his tongue sliding along the thin skin in his mouth. Adrian froze. The look in his eyes was... hunger? Or seeing something you wanted, but weren't sure you could have. Trevor understood the expression; He had lived it for years.

Reasonable thought had nothing to do with what he did next.

Releasing Adrian's skin, Trevor surged up, wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, and pulled their lips together. Adrian hesitated for only a moment, then allowed his eyes to flutter closed. He grabbed Trevor's shoulders and pulled him up until they were both sitting, Adrian on top.

They broke apart a few moments later, and Trevor's heartbeat kicked up. _What had he just done?_ Trevor knew he could act on impulse, but his stupidity didn't usually reach _kissing the son of Dracula_ levels.

And why? Because he was pretty? ~~He was.~~ Because Trevor hadn't had a good romp in weeks? Trevor's mind conjured up the feel of Adrian's smooth skin, his cool lips on Trevor, his piercing eyes-

Which were currently staring him down. _Shit fuck what-_

Trevor's mental flailing eventually traveled to his arm in tingles, and he let go of Adrian before attempting to move away. Attempted, because Adrian didn't allow him to move. With his vampiric strength locking Trevor in place, there wasn't much the hunter could do but push and wiggle ineffectively.

"Adrian," he said, trying to growl, but with a desperation which cut the intimidation.

Cool hands moved from shoulders around behind Trevor's neck. There, they tugged gently at the short hairs, and Trevor stopped struggling. He just stared, unable to get his heart or breathing under control.

Adrian leaned forward. Slowly. Trevor felt he could count days by the way the dhampir moved, though whether it was because he wanted time to move slower or faster, he couldn't decide. Finally-- _finally?_ \--Adrian hovered face to face with Trevor. Trevor leaned forward, almost subconsciously, but those cool, long fingered hands moved to his cheeks and held him still.

Trevor swallowed.

When Adrian stared into his eyes, it felt like he was searching, probing into Trevor's soul. For what, Trevor couldn't have said. He just stared back, also looking for something indefinable.

Adrian tilted and moved a scant few inches; His lips brushed, butterfly light, across Trevor's top lip. Then he pulled away. Trevor was held still as he tried to give chase. Again Adrian leaned forward, brushing along one corner of Trevor's mouth, but Trevor was unable to turn in any direction, to pull back or follow. He had to say something.

"What, are you scared?" Adrian gave a fleeting smile at the taunt and teased along Trevor's bottom lip. Trevor growled out, "Stop teasing me."

"What would you prefer I do?" Adrian's words washed over Trevor, wisping between their mouths like a breeze.

Trevor brought his own hands up to the back of Adrian's head, pulling with all his strength. The man moved, barely, and Trevor could tell it was only because he had willed it. Stupid fucking vampires. Their lips were touching now, but only just so, and the hint of contact was driving Trevor mad. He could feel Adrian breathe.

"I want to kiss you," Adrian whispered.

"Then kiss me!"

Adrian did not waste a second after Trevor spoke, diving into a deep kiss, thrusting his tongue in as though he had waited his whole life to taste Trevor. The hunter gasped, hands tightening reflexively around strands of blonde hair as his mouth was swiftly invaded by the enthusiastic dhampir in his lap. A startled squeak was swallowed by the lips closed over his own.

While his brain struggled to catch up, his body responded automatically, exploring the tongue in his mouth and angling his head for better access. It took Trevor a few moments to realize Adrian was lowering him, both hands along his spine now as he dipped Trevor like a fainting maiden.

Trevor pulled his head away, and Adrian let him, both taking in deep breaths.

Trevor's mind was a paradox, both swirling with thought, yet calm. It was like a quiet room with a storm lashing outside. He decided to take advantage of it while it lasted. On one hand, he wanted to move back in. Wanted to take those lips again, wanted to feel Adrian's arms around him, wanted to continue what they'd started, no questions asked. However.

Trevor worried, quietly, in the room of his mind, if they continued that way, there wouldn't be any questions, ever. No questions, no discussions, just one and done. The thought of such a scenario was more heartbreaking than Trevor expected. He was so used to getting one good thing, temporarily, but he wanted more. He wanted Adrian to want more.

Adrian. He hovered over Trevor, waiting. He didn't show any impatience, he didn't press forward or move back. He simply waited for Trevor.

"What do you want?" Trevor blinked as the words slipped out of his mouth. Adrian half-smiled.

"That," he said, "is what I would like to ask."

He leaned forward, the hair not in Trevor's grip forming curtains around them. When he closed his eyes, Trevor thought he might be going in for another kiss, but he simply put their foreheads together and sighed.

"I want..." Adrian's voice was hushed, thoughtful. "I want you to be happy."

Closing his own eyes, Trevor gathered his thoughts. Sometimes, Adrian was just so forward, so much, all at once. Up and saying sentimental things like he wanted Trevor happy... He held his breath to push back the prickling in his eyes. A twisting in his chest felt like his heart was trying to squeeze out, escape through the gaps of his ribs, even if it got torn up in the process. Trevor breathed out a word, so garbled it could have been a curse, could have been a plea to heaven, could even have simply been the name of the man over him.

Trevor wanted, he wanted...

"This," he said, voice thick. "You."

With a small shuffle between them, he opened his eyes to see Adrian looking back, open and listening. A little more of Trevor's mind kicked back into action. "Shit, I don't know fangs, just kiss me again."

Adrian chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and into Trevor. "Trevor Belmont, you can be such a dolt," he said. But he leaned in for a kiss anyway.

Adrian was more indulgent the second time, with slower lip movements and swipes of his tongue which had Trevor hold tighter. He carded his hands through thick hair, touching and pulling. Despite the fact Adrian was cooler than a human, Trevor felt warmth bloom from their contact, trickling through his system with every moment. When Adrian shifted for another angle, Trevor was made aware of just how warm his body had become--especially his lower regions.

With a startled jump, Trevor pulled back, his surprise jolting Adrian as well.

"What?" Adrian asked, "What is it?" His hair, which had somehow stayed artfully wavy during their spar, now had several messy tendrils sticking out where Trevor's hands had run through. His lips were glossy from Trevor's tongue and rich pink from the pressure of the kiss.

God, this was not helping his problem.

"You should probably get off," he said, voice cracking once in the middle.

Adrian's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth, paused, readjusted, and said, "Ah," looking even pinker than before. He scrambled off Trevor's lap and pulled the hunter up with him so they could stand.

Both men took a moment to gather themselves, Adrian running hands distractedly over his hair while Trevor adjusted his pants. It didn't hide much. Trevor glanced at Adrian, noting the dhampir was pointedly not looking in his direction, instead concentrating on the tangles in his long hair, an absolutely kissable frown on his face. Good ideas had never been Trevor's forte; He was certain what he wanted to do next did not qualify either. At the same time he kinda ~~definitely~~ wanted to accompany Adrian on his journey across Wallachia.

Not just for him, but other stuff, too! Like... Helping people? And stretching his legs. Yeah. It had been weeks since he was on the road.

Tossing out the useless thoughts, Trevor focused on his next movements. Walking cautiously up behind--his friend?--Adrian, Trevor waited for his arm to come close enough, then grabbed and straightened it. A small sound of surprise was immediately followed by a shout as Trevor twisted the arm up under his own and held it secure with his elbow. Adrian bowed over and glared at him from under his golden strands.

Before he could speak, Trevor said, "I win."

"Win what, exactly?" Adrian asked, voice tight.

"The fight. So now you admit you need me on your little trip." Trevor grinned brightly at the dhampir. Several emotions ran across that pale face--frustration, confusion, interest--some of them bringing a ruddy colors to his cheeks.

Then Adrian lowered his head and chuckled. "Fine. I'll allow you to come."

"Nope." Adrian's head snapped back up, and Trevor's grin became more lopsided. "You lost, so you clearly _need_ me watching your back."

"You," said Adrian, expression and tone flat. "The one who was actually watching my back and used the opportunity to pin my arm."

"...Yes?"

With a deep sigh, Adrian grabbed the leg closest to him and used his vampiric strength to knock Trevor back. He landed with an _oomph_ , feeling his grip loosen on Adrian's arm. It now pinned him, the leg Adrian had grabbed pushed up towards his chest.

"I'll allow it," Adrian repeated. A small smile played at his lips. "Now, I'll assume you want, uh..."

With even his brief glance down, both men blushed. Trevor cleared his throat and said, "I'll head to my room."

"The servants will bring you more tea," Adrian said faintly, both of them moving apart and standing again. "Drink it."

Trevor said nothing, rubbing at the back of his neck. His instincts from the road urged him to go, to flee, before things got even more awkward. A very small part of him, one he wasn't even sure he had until today, screamed at him to break the uncomfortable atmosphere. Trevor didn't know how to do that. But, oh hell, it had never stopped him before.

With a friendly slap on the back, Trevor caught Adrian's wandering attention. "I'll uh, see you later then. For. The trip."

Adrian hummed vague agreement.

"But, mmh, I should probably have more weapons. You know. Just in case."

Adrian took a breath, paused, then let it out with a lopsided, almost hesitant smile. "Do you really think _more_ weapons will make you a better fighter?"

"It gives me more options," Trevor said, suddenly indignant. "I improvise while I fight, adapt. It's important."

The smile on Adrian looked more confident and teasing. "It's a bar fight."

"I ran out of instructors willing to teach 'proper form' a religious pariah."

"Hm. I suppose so." Trevor raised a sarcastic brow at Adrian; He looked thoughtful. "What of my father?"

Trevor blinked, then burst out into full bodied laughter, both arms wrapped around his torso. He had to screw his eyes shut to contain most of his mirth, but he was certain he could feel a glare on him. Dracula, teaching a Belmont to fight. Trevor tried to speak a few times, but the laughter used up all of his air, so his words came out choppy and indistinguishable. A slap upside his head got his mouth functioning again.

"Ah fuck!"

"There's no need to laugh, it was merely a suggestion. We can find some weapons tomorrow."

Trevor rubbed at his head, a small throbbing returned inside. "Weren't you trying to get me to take care of myself not a minute ago?"

Adrian sighed and walked towards the entrance of the training room. With a flick of his fingers, he summoned his sword to his sheath. "Yes. Go take care of yourself, and if necessary... 'take care' of yourself."

Adrian's smirk brought the heat back to climb Trevor's ears, then he was gone.

Trevor muttered curses to himself and retrieved his own weapons. The dhampir was infuriating and intriguing all in one. He would blush bright at some implications, yet smirk as if completely unaffected at others. Trevor was willing to admit, at least to himself, the mystery was part of the draw for him. The other parts, well.

Trevor ran a thumb over his curled whip. Just being held was appealing, more than it should have been. As Trevor wandered back through the halls towards his room, his mind ran over the light touches to his face and neck, then the harder press of mouths.

He wanted it, he couldn't deny it, he'd said as much out loud. Trevor Belmont wanted Adrian Țepeș. A small, hopeful smile crept onto Trevor's face.

"Maybe this trip will be worth something after all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, poor Trevor. He's just, ah, a little too excited. ;D So yeah! Dey kiss. Good. Obviously they aren't gonna jump into a relationship immediately, they still have their own reservations, but at least they're acknowledging their feelings on the matter.  
> And we got little bits of their moves from the s1 fight, cause daaamn the choreography on that, I wanna marry it. But how do they kEEP ENDING UP ON THE FLOOR??? gdi. I tried to stop them guys. I honestly tried to stop the chapter earlier, then they just kept fckn touching each other. They are so thirsty.
> 
> Next up, and hopefully posting next week (ohgodplease), a little Lisa/Drac smut! ヽ(。ゝω･)ﾉ☆;:*
> 
> So! Lemme know what you think, and keep an eye out for more CV trash, haha. Laters~

**Author's Note:**

> The smut is up! If you aren't comfortable/interested, just skip the next part in the series. Otherwise, enjoy~


End file.
